The Rays have come out of their little slump, when they lost eight of 13 games. They have won five of their last eight and still seem to be the team to beat. Rookie catcher John Jaso has provided some unexpected offense, hitting .307 and getting on base a lot.
Their rotation is one of the best in the majors. The middle of the rotation has been fabulous recording 15 wins with only two losses. David Price leads the league with his nine wins, and Jeff Niemann has yet to suffer a loss.
With a deep rotation and great defense, the Rays are poised to go deep in the playoffs, and it shows in their future odds. They opened at 11/1 to win the World Series, and are now second to only the Yankees at Bodog at 4/1. The sportsbooks gauges Tampa Bay’s chances to win the AL pennant at 2/1.
The Yankees opened at 3/1 and sit right around the same price at 10/3 now. Robinson Cano has proven vital to the Yankees hitting, as he sits atop the league in batting average. New York is among the top teams in almost every single offensive category, and they look to ride their offense to a deep postseason run.
The Yankee’s middle of the rotation has been very successful as well, behind a strong combo of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett at the top. Phil Hughes and Andy Pettitte have combined for a 15-2 record. The Yankees are the favorite to win the AL pennant at 9/5.
The Phillies are the heavy favorite among teams out of the National League, even though they trail the Braves by 2.5 games in the NL EAST standings. The Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers, Reds and Padres all seem to be playing better baseball than the Phillies as of late, but Philadelphia is expected to return to form.
Roy Hallady is definitely one of the best pitchers in the majors, and Cole Hamels had a no-hit bid broke up late in Monday’s game against the Padres. The Phillies have been struggling offensively, and find themselves in the middle of the pack in the major offensive categories.
They are the favorite to win the NL pennant at 9/4, but the race in the National League is a lot closer. The Cardinals (15/4), Braves (5/1), and Dodgers (6/1) follow as the other top choices.
The Reds have surprised this season and are an interesting pick to win the pennant at 12/1, and offer great value for a surprise World Series title at 20/1. Their offense has been great this year and the team is in the Top 4 in the majors in batting average, home runs, RBI, and hits.
Scott Rolen has his highest total of homeruns at this point in the season since 2006 with 14. First baseman Joey Votto leads the league in batting average and has shown some power with 11 homeruns.
Ace Aaron Harang has picked it up after a slow start and won his third straight decision Wednesday. He hasn’t lost a game since May 14, and he anchors a rotation that has surprised so far.
Johnny Cueto has recorded five wins with only one loss, even though his 4.25 ERA isn’t great. He is tied with Harang for the team-lead in strikeouts at 59.
Mike Leak, the fourth starter, has won five games and hasn’t lost a single decision. He leads the team with his 2.68 ERA. He struggled in his last start against the Giants, but came away with a no-decision. He gave up five runs and 11 hits in only 4 1/3 innings, but the offense bailed him out in a 7-6 win.
If the Reds’ offense can keep playing like this, and the team continues to get great efforts from their rotation, they offer great value in the futures. Keep an eye on them and don’t miss your chance.
