Yes, the 2025 MLB season began in March, but now that we’re turning the page from April to May, we’ve had our first full month of the MLB calendar to see how things look. With all but one team having played at least 30 games, here’s a closer look at the biggest risers and fallers in terms of futures betting odds for the World Series, MVP and Cy Young in both the American and National Leagues. All odds, both preseason and current, are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
World Series odds
Last year’s World Series combatants, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, lead their respective divisions and have the shortest odds to win the World Series in their respective leagues. But some teams have seen their odds improve and plummet as we head to May.
Risers
In the words of former LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron, “How ’bout them Tigers?” Well, these Tigers are in Detroit and play a different sport, and they have been dominant to start the year after making the playoffs last year. Detroit sits atop the AL Central at 19-12 thanks in large part to a 13-3 home record. The Tigers’ odds at DraftKings have gone from +3500 to win the World Series to +1300, a shift from 16th to fourth. Former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson has been great, slugging eight home runs with an OPS just under .900. Zach McKinstry also has an OPS just under .900, and Kerry Carpenter has slugged seven homers. On the pitching side, shocker, 2024 AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is still that dude with a 2.34 ERA. Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson and Casey Mize all have ERAs under 3.55, with Mize’s coming in at a lowly 2.12. Tommy Kahnle has been stellar coming over from New York, as the changeup wizard has allowed just a single earned run in 11 appearances.
All offseason, the conversation with the Mariners would be centered around whether they could hit enough to supplement their stellar pitching staff. So far, the bats have been on fire while the rotation has been just OK and is battling injuries to both George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. Seattle started slow with a 3-7 record but has since gone 15-5 thanks to the bats, namely Cal Raleigh, who has slugged 10 homers, and a resurgent Jorge Polanco, who has a slugging percentage over .800 and OPS over 1.200 despite a side injury limiting him to only taking at-bats against right-handed pitching. Kirby is expected back at some point in May, while Gilbert’s timeline is unclear. The good news for the Mariners on the pitching side, though, is when games are close late, Andres Munoz has been the best reliever in baseball, as he’s yet to allow a run this year. Seattle’s odds have shifted from +2800 (12th) to +1800 (ninth).
The Cubs have jumped out to an early 18-13 start at April’s end and lead the NL Central. Their World Series odds have improved from +3000 before the season (14th) to +1700 (seventh) entering May. The Cubs were seen as a top contender for the Central crown after a stellar offseason that saw them notably add Kyle Tucker to the outfield. Tucker has been stellar in his first season in Chicago with seven homers and an OPS of .935. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been dominant to start the year, supplying power at the plate, speed on the bases and flashing the leather in center field. The Cubs were dealt a big blow with Justin Steele needing Tommy John, so how that rotation looks after Shota Imanga will be something key to watch moving forward.
Fallers
It was a nightmare start to 2025 for the Braves, who lost their first seven games and 11 of their first 15. They’ve righted the ship since then, winning 10 of their last 15 games, but they’re still two games under .500. They opened the year at +750 to win the World Series, which was the second-lowest price in baseball. That’s doubled to +1500, which is still sixth-best. With Ronald Acuna Jr. expected back at some point in May, the Braves may continue their winning ways and then some. But for now, they’ve seen their odds balloon a bit.
The Orioles have made the playoffs each of the last two years, including winning over 100 games in 2023, but find themselves at the bottom of the AL East standings as we enter May. As a result, the Orioles’ World Series odds have gone from +1600 (seventh-best) to +3500 (15th). Little has gone right offensively for Baltimore besides strong starts from Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are both off to slow starts at the plate, while Dean Kremer, Charlie Morton and Cade Povich have not pitched well in the rotation. The bullpen duo of Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano has been dominant for Baltimore with Bautista back from injury, but those two have not had many leads to protect late in games thus far.
– Minnesota Twins: +5000
The good news for the Twins is they’re not in last place in the AL Central. That’s largely thanks to the Chicago White Sox fighting with the Colorado Rockies for the distinction of being MLB’s worst team. Important pieces like Carlos Correa and Edouard Julien are off to cold starts at the plate, while much of the rest of the lineup is filled with fringe-league-average numbers to date. Minnesota has one of the better team ERAs in baseball at 3.54, so perhaps improvement from the bats will help the Twins rise up the standings and compete—maybe not for the AL Central, but for a Wild Card berth.
Minnesota began the year with +2500 odds to win the championship, ranking 11th, and has now shifted to +5000, placing them 19th in the rankings.
**MVP Odds**
The AL MVP race is heating up with Aaron Judge leading the pack as the favorite. Shohei Ohtani continues to impress in the NL, aiming for his second consecutive award. Here are some notable risers and fallers in the MVP race:
**Risers**
– A’s first baseman Tyler Soderstrom has seen a significant rise in his MVP odds, going from not being listed initially to now being at +6000. His impressive performance with nine home runs and an OPS over .900 has been instrumental in the A’s solid start to the season.
– In the NL, both Kyle Tucker and Corbin Carroll have seen their odds improve, with Tucker moving from +1500 to +350 and Carroll from +2200 to +500. Tucker’s contributions to the Cubs and Carroll’s power hitting for the Diamondbacks have boosted their MVP chances.
**Fallers**
– Yordan Alvarez in the AL has seen a decline in his MVP odds, dropping from +600 to +5000 due to a slow start to the season with subpar numbers.
– Bryce Harper in the NL has also faced a dip in his MVP odds, moving from +1400 to +5000 despite the Phillies’ solid start, as Harper is yet to hit his stride offensively.
**Cy Young Odds**
The Cy Young race is also heating up, with some pitchers making waves and others struggling to maintain their form. Here are some notable risers and fallers in the Cy Young race:
**Risers**
– AL pitcher Max Fried has emerged as a strong contender with his impressive performance for the Yankees, improving his odds from +2500 to +600.
– NL pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach has shown remarkable progress, moving from +4000 to +1300 with his standout pitching for the Braves.
**Fallers**
– AL pitcher Tanner Houck has had a rough start to the season, causing his odds to plummet from +3000 to +20000 due to a high ERA and inconsistent performances.
– NL pitcher Corbin Burnes has also struggled to replicate his past success, leading to a drop in his Cy Young odds from +1200 to +6000.
These shifts in odds reflect the dynamic nature of the MLB season, with players rising and falling in the race for MVP and Cy Young awards. following sentence in a different way:
She decided to go for a run in the park to clear her mind.
To clear her mind, she chose to go for a run in the park.