Well, what do we have here? MLB win totals on Jan. 8th!? Did Christmas come again?
Caesars Palace in Las Vegas became the first sportsbook to release 2019 MLB win totals — more than a month earlier than they were released last season. Making this even more strange is the fact that both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still free agents.
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With gambling legalization sweeping the nation, this could just be Caesars Palace's effort to be the first book to market. There's a good chance other books wait a while, meaning the opening numbers at your book could look quite different than these do.
Nevertheless, here are your 2019 win totals:
Leading the way are the Astros at 97.5. Though they couldn't repeat as World Series champs last season, they were still able to win 103 games in a division that featured the 97-win Athletics and 89-win Mariners. Also note that the oddsmakers don't believe either Oakland (83) or Seattle (74.5) will come close to their respective finishes in 2018.
The Yankees and Red Sox are within one win of each other, as the AL East is once again shaping up to be a dog fight. Of course, the gap could certainly widen if the Yankees are able to land Machado.
The Dodgers top the National League at 95 wins — three more than they had last season. When they traded Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig to the Reds, many folks around the industry believed they were making room for Harper. Things have been quiet on that front since, but I'd be surprised if L.A. is done making moves this offseason.
The NL East could also be in flux thanks to the pair of superstar free agents. The Phillies (83 wins) are interested in both, and a return to the Nationals isn't out of the question for Harper, either.
The NL Central could be the tightest divisional race with the Cubs at 89 wins, Cardinals at 88.5 and Brewers — who won the division last year with 96 wins — down at 83.5.
The worst of the bunch is Baltimore with a total of just 59. Last year's low mark was the Marlins at 63.5, but the Orioles were truly something special in 2018. Their 47 wins were 25.5 fewer than their total — easily the worst margin in the league.
Stay tuned for more MLB props and futures as we inch closer to spring training.
