2023 NL East Future Odds at the Start of Spring Training

The Mets are favorites to win the NL East at SI Sportsbook, but the Braves and Phillies aren’t far behind.

The New York Mets (+125) are the favorites to win the NL East at SI Sportsbook.

The New York Mets, after winning 101 games in 2022, look poised to have another successful season after adding the reigning AL Cy Young winner, veteran Justin Verlander. The rotation now boasts two multiple-Cy Young winners (Verlander, Max Scherzer). The Mets lineup that scored the fifth-most runs (772) and had the second-best batting average in the league (.259) remains almost completely intact, adding catcher Omar Narvaez as a defensive upgrade.

AL East Odds

The Atlanta Braves come in with the next-best odds at +140 and present better value than the Mets after winning the NL East last season with the exact same 101 wins. The Braves are a young and talented team that is just one season removed from a World Series title, and they look to be a threat again with a full season of Ronald Acuna Jr. heathy and batting leadoff. The Braves boast both the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year (starter Spencer Strider) and the NL ROY runner-up (centerfielder Michael Harris Jr.). They look like a team that can log triple-digit wins every season for the foreseeable future.

Pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander at Mets spring training.
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander make a formidable one-two punch for the Mets’ sytarting rotation :: Rich Storry/USA Today Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies may present the best value after surprising everyone by making it to the 2022 World Series as a wild card entry. Philadelphia begins its first full season under manager Rob Thompson, who replaced Joe Girardi when the team was still struggling last season. In the offseason, the Phillies acquired shortstop Trea Turner from the Dodgers to likely bat leadoff for a team that scored 719 runs (seventh) and was aggressive on the basepath with 105 stolen bases (fifth) in 2022. They will likely be without rightfielder Bryce Harper for at least half the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, but doesn’t a second-half appearance bode well for another late-season surge? Three-to-one odds is good value for Philadelphia.

The Florida Marlins (+4000) and Washington Nationals (+15000) round out the bottom of the list, as both teams are in rebuilding mode for 2023.

NL East Odds

Mets +125
Braves +140
Phillies +300
Marlins +4000
Nationals +15000


If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the National Council for Problem Gambling 1-800-522-4700.


Published
Jennifer Piacenti
JENNIFER PIACENTI

Jennifer Piacenti is a fantasy sports and betting analyst for Sports Illustrated. She serves as a host for Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio and has her own podcast, “Waiver Wired,” on the Extra Points podcast network. Piacenti is also a featured expert on MLB Network’s “Bettor’s Eye” and is a member of the esteemed Tout Wars, the fantasy baseball battle of the experts. She is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and is a 2020 Scott Fish Bowl finalist.