Pretty much any baseball-loving Canadian is excited about the Toronto Blue Jays’ chances this year.
The Jays finally opened their wallets this past-offseason, bolstering their roster with the additions of R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera and others.
For the first time in a long time, Jays fans can legitimately dream of Toronto’s first World Series championship since those glory years of 1992 and 93.
Oddsmakers certainly think it’s a possibility. Toronto is one of five MLB teams who pay out less than 8:1 odds if they win the World Series in 2013.
The L.A. Dodgers are the overall favourite at Pinnacle Sports, which is offering the Dodgers at a +738 price to win it all. They’re followed by the Washington Nationals (+764), L.A. Angels (+766), Jays (+784) and Detroit Tigers (+793).
Just like there are some fresh faces at the top of the MLB futures board, there are some new World Series darkhorses. The New York Yankees (+1757), St. Louis Cardinals (+2102), Philadelphia Phillies (+2022) and Boston Red Sox (+3706) are all considered unlikely to be baseball’s champion this season. How often over the past decade have we been able to say that?
And for you long-suffering Cubs fans, look like you’ll be suffering a little longer. Chicago’s NL team is given 126:1 odds of ending its World Series curse this season.
Here’s a full listing of MLB futures odds posted at Pinnacle Sports, as of March 31:
| 1001 Atlanta Braves | +1460 |
| 1002 Arizona Diamondbacks | +5279 |
| 1003 Baltimore Orioles | +4505 |
| 1004 Boston Red Sox | +3706 |
| 1005 Chicago Cubs | +12605 |
| 1006 Chicago White Sox | +5424 |
| 1007 Cincinnati Reds | +928 |
| 1008 Cleveland Indians | +10694 |
| 1009 Colorado Rockies | +14461 |
| 1010 Detroit Tigers | +793 |
| 1011 Houston Astros | +24503 |
| 1012 Kansas City Royals | +5877 |
| 1013 LA Angels | +766 |
| 1014 Los Angeles Dodgers | +738 |
| 1015 Miami Marlins | +16345 |
| 1016 Milwaukee Brewers | +5547 |
| 1017 Minnesota Twins | +13833 |
| 1018 New York Mets | +10527 |
| 1019 New York Yankees | +1757 |
| 1020 Oakland Athletics | +3266 |
| 1021 Philadelphia Phillies | +2022 |
| 1022 Pittsburgh Pirates | +9439 |
| 1023 San Diego Padres | +11322 |
| 1024 San Francisco Giants | +1487 |
| 1025 Seattle Mariners | +10694 |
| 1026 St. Louis Cardinals | +2102 |
| 1027 Tampa Bay Rays | +1779 |
| 1028 Texas Rangers | +1607 |
| 1029 Toronto Blue Jays | +784 |
| 1030 Washington Nationals | +764 |