With so many betting options ahead of the MLB season, we asked PressBox’s Phil Backert, Stan “The Fan” Charles, Glenn Clark and Spencer Schultz to share some of their favorite futures bets.
All odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook in mid-February.
Phil Backert
Detroit Tigers To Make Playoffs (+118)
There’s a lot of ways to attack the Tigers in the betting market, including their over-under win total of 83.5 (-110) and the American League Central title (+270). The Tigers went on a historic run in the second half to reach the playoffs last year and we have seen teams go from bad to good real quick and then sustain that level of quality. I believe that is what we will see with Detroit, which is led by a really good manager in A.J. Hinch.
The Tigers have reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and brought back Jack Flaherty for their rotation. Their lineup boasts Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows and free-agent acquisition Gleyber Torres. This is a very young talented team that also has the No. 2 farm system in baseball, according to Baseball America.
I’m usually in agreement with the projection systems, but not here. PECOTA, a highly respected projection system from Baseball Prospectus, is projecting the Tigers to win just 78.8 games. The Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals are all solid teams as well, but each has flaws. The Chicago White Sox are still in the division, so the Tigers will have plenty of chances to beat up on a team that will struggle to win 55 games.
The Tigers should be battling for the division all season long, which will lead them to be in the mix for one of the wild-card spots as well. They also have the prospect depth that they can use to make a big move at the trade deadline to help them make another strong second-half run.
Stan “The Fan” Charles
If you pay attention to my futures bets, you know I love taking a couple high-end fliers. This time, let’s do a division-winner parlay.
AL Central: Kansas City Royals (+310)
AL West: Texas Rangers (+200)
NL East: New York Mets (+195)
NL Central: Chicago Cubs (-105)
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers (-650)
Let’s then make the same wager but swap the Reds for the Cubs. Cincinnati is +490 to win the NL Central in Terry Francona’s first season as manager. Now for some straight bets:
Gunnar Henderson (+700), Adley Rutschman (+5500) To Win AL MVP
There is no question Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. should be the two leading AL MVP candidates, but they don’t offer the kind of return I’m looking for out of a six-month bet. Henderson is a realistic candidate who offers a better return.
Hey, there are several other decent candidates, like Rafael Devers. But Rutschman is an interesting candidate to me. Like you, I have no idea what happened to him in the second half of the 2024 season, but I am willing to take a $20 flier on Rutschman at this value.
Blake Snell To Win NL Cy Young (+800)
My final wager will be my largest for the 2025 season. In looking over the candidates for the NL Cy Young Award, one pitcher stands out to me: Blake Snell, a highly paid, financially secure monster who just happens to now pitch for the best team in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Remember, Snell has won the Cy Young twice before — once with Tampa Bay (2018) and once with San Diego (2023).
Snell made 20 starts and tossed 104 innings with San Francisco in 2024. When he stepped on the mound on July 9, he had thrown 23.2 innings with a 9.51 ERA. From that point on, Snell made 14 starts, tossed 80.1 innings, allowed just 33 hits and two homers and struck out 114. His ERA was 1.23 and his WHIP was 0.78. That was for a mediocre Giants team. If he stays healthy, I think he could win 20-plus games and his third Cy Young Award.
Glenn Clark
Texas Rangers Over 85.5 Wins (-105)
The Rangers were devastated by injuries in 2024 and World Series hangover allegations were thrown around. Whatever the exact percentage each issue played, it all added up to a mess of a season. But their roster is too good (particularly if Joc Pederson can back up his strong season in Arizona) for the Rangers to not bounce back this year.
Dylan Crews To Win National League Rookie of the Year (+350)
This is an odds play. Roki Sasaki being the +200 favorite makes all the sense in the world. A two-time NPB All-Star, he was one of the most sought-after free agents on the entire market. That said, the Dodgers are so loaded with superstars that it does make it a bit tougher for any particular one to stand out significantly. With individual awards being narrative-driven, there’s a huge chance here for Crews. If the Nationals take another step forward this season, he’ll likely be a central figure.
Gunnar Henderson To Hit Over 30.5 Home Runs (-113)
I mean, let’s just have some fun. The guy hit 37 home runs last season despite struggling in July and August. If he stays healthy, this number feels like a lock.
Spencer Schultz
Washington Nationals Over 70.5 Wins (-118)
The Nationals’ young core of hitters will gain traction and surprise folks. The lineup has the potential to be productive through the No. 6 or 7 spot in the order. The starting pitchers have shown some promise as well. As such, the Nationals could be a surprise 80-game winner, which is currently +390. James Wood to hit 30 home runs is also +390, and he has displayed flashes of his prolific power profile in the big leagues already.
Kansas City Royals Over 82.5 Wins (+104)
The Royals have the potential 2025 AL MVP and two possible Cy Young winners. The rest is mediocre, but I don’t see how the Royals fall short of 83 wins barring major injuries to Bobby Witt Jr., Cole Ragans and/or Seth Lugo. The AL Central is tough, but on continuity alone the Royals will be competitive enough to push for a playoff spot.
Ketel Marte Over 25.5 Home Runs (-120)
Marte has been on an upward trajectory each of the last two seasons and fully found his stride during a prolific 2024 campaign. If not for the rest of the NL orbiting around the sun that is Shohei Ohtani, Marte would be a dark-horse MVP candidate. His power profile with bat speed, barrel rate and launch angle is awesome. He will continue to crush this mark; 30 and 40 home runs as a ladder is a solid bet as well.
Gunnar Henderson Over 30.5 Home Runs (-113)
Henderson tired in the second half of the 2024 season after incredible power production from the shortstop position in the first half. A 162-game season paired with his first Home Run Derby and All-Star Game appearances led to a power outage, but only injury will prevent him from achieving the 30-homer mark as a lefty at Camden Yards.
Photo Credits: Kenya Allen/PressBox and Colin Murphy/PressBox
Issue 291: February / March 2025
Originally published Feb. 19, 2025