These are the big guns of the league entering 2017. No "ifs" necessary up in here; contending is the expectation. It all starts with a familiar face atop the leaderboard.
| Rank | Team | nERD | Playoff Odds | World Series Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Seattle Mariners | 0.59 | 51.0% | 4.3% |
| 9 | San Francisco Giants | 0.59 | 63.1% | 5.2% |
| 8 | St. Louis Cardinals | 0.67 | 59.8% | 4.9% |
| 7 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 0.70 | 71.6% | 7.7% |
| 6 | Toronto Blue Jays | 0.70 | 55.5% | 5.2% |
| 5 | Houston Astros | 0.75 | 63.9% | 7.2% |
| 4 | Washington Nationals | 0.75 | 72.5% | 9.0% |
| 3 | Cleveland Indians | 0.94 | 82.3% | 12.5% |
| 2 | Boston Red Sox | 1.03 | 79.1% | 12.5% |
| 1 | Chicago Cubs | 1.11 | 88.7% | 15.7% |
One World Series in 108 years apparently wasn't enough for the Chicago Cubs. They're the favorites to do it again in 2017.
Starting the year with 15.7% World Series odds -- before a single game is even played -- should indicate how good this roster looks heading into opening day. They lost Dexter Fowler and Jason Hammel, but Kyle Schwarber is now fully healthy after missing most of the regular season last year, and they have intriguing pieces to fill out the rotation. With even more talent coming up through the farm system, expect the Cubs to be a fixture near the top.
If a team wants to knock them off in the National League, it seems like the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers have the best shot to do so. Both teams figure to have improved health in their respective rotations over last year, and the offenses added pieces who can make a difference at the top of the order (Adam Eaton for the Nationals and Logan Forsythe for the Dodgers). It certainly won't be a cakewalk for the Cubs to claim a second consecutive pennant.
In the American League, the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians have a solid cushion over the rest of the field. Considering the arrival of Chris Sale in Boston and Edwin Encarnacion in Cleveland, this is what you'd expect. Cleveland was another team that battled the injury bug with their starters last year, meaning if the chips fall right, this team could be even better than the one that took the World Series to seven games last year.