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2020 MLB New York Yankees World Series Odds & Picks

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read

The Yankees are Striking Fear into the
Hearts of Their Rivals Once More

After forgetting who they were during the middle part of the 2010s, the New York Yankees are back to being the Evil Empire. They have won 100 games in each of the last two seasons, and the most successful franchise in baseball history is out to win its first World Series since 2009.

The Yankees haven’t even made it to the World Series for over 10 years now, so the fans are hoping the team makes up for lost time with so many superstars on the roster.

2020 New York Yankees World Series
Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: +380

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

2020 New York Yankees Season
World Series Odds Overview

The Yankees are a contender every season in one form or another, and they haven’t finished with a losing record since 1992. Whenever they decide to open the checkbook, the Bronx Bombers become one of the favorites per the World Series betting odds, and they are set to dole out nearly $250 million in salary in 2020.

American League East

Traditional rival Boston is retooling after the Mookie Betts trade, opening up the division for the Yankees. They are -440 to win the AL East at FanDuel, and their biggest competition is Tampa Bay according to online sportsbooks. The Rays have the next best odds to win the division at +380, while the Red Sox are well behind at 15-1.

On the Hill

Gerrit Cole became the first pitcher in MLB history to sign a contract worth more than $300 million in December, and the Yankees have made it clear that they expect to win multiple championships with Cole as the ace of this rotation. Although Cole has yet to win a Cy Young, he was the best pitcher in the American League last season, leading the league in ERA, ERA+, strikeouts, K/9, and FIP. He was lights out in the postseason, allowing just one run in 22.2 innings during the American League playoffs, and his acquisition makes the Yankees’ rotation the toughest in the AL.

Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees are the favorite to win the AL East in 2020.
Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees are the favorite to win the AL East in 2020. (AP)
The Yankees won’t have Luis Severino for the 2020 campaign after it was announced that he would undergo Tommy John surgery in late February. Not having Severino for the full season and James Paxton for some of the year will hurt, but Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ are competent arms.

Tanaka was excellent in the postseason, allowing four earned runs on 16 innings of work against Minnesota and Houston. However, his 7.4 K/9 rate is cause for concern after it fell off substantially from what we saw in 2017 and 2018.

Happ is only a few years removed from being a Cy Young contender during his time in Toronto. He doesn’t have quite the same stuff at the age of 37, but he can still eat up some innings and take games to the bullpen.

This bullpen figures to be one of the best in baseball with Adam Ottavino and Zack Britton paving the way for Aroldis Chapman. Ottavino and Britton were two of the best set-up men in baseball last season with ERAs under 2.00. As for Chapman, he still has one of the best fastballs in the game, and his ability to mix that in with his sinker and slider makes him unhittable.

At the Plate

Giancarlo Stanton only played 18 games last season, depriving the Yankees of one of their best bats. Stanton and Aaron Judge were heralded as the new Bash Brothers after what we saw from both players in 2018, but four separate injuries left Stanton on the IL for the vast majority of the season. He still has immense power, so he could hit 40 home runs if he stays healthy. That’s the rub though, as he has missed a lot of time due to various injuries over his career.

Judge is arguably the best power hitter in baseball, but he has had some injury concerns too. He has missed 110 games due to injury over the last two seasons, putting the kibosh on his home run totals after cranking 52 home runs in 2017. Judge can be very boom or bust at the plate with high home run and walk numbers, but he strikes out a ton too. While he crushes left-handed pitchers, he has been relatively mediocre against righties.

The best hitter with runners in scoring position last season was D.J. LeMahieu. The infielder hit .392 with ducks on the pond, and he was 10 for 15 with bases loaded. He has now hit .300 or higher in four of his last five seasons, making him one of the most underrated plyers in the game since he is on the star-studded Yankees. LeMahieu doesn’t take a ton of walks, but he doesn’t strike out much either and he makes great contact.

2020 New York Yankees World Series Projection

The Yankees are the best team in baseball when everyone is healthy, but there are far too many injury concerns to bet on the Yankees to win the World Series at this number. The rotation could be a mess outside of Cole, and if Stanton and Judge end up missing significant time, the lineup will suffer.

2020 New York Yankees World Series Free Pick:
Don’t bet unless the line moves to +500 or more - Alternative Options

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

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