NL Pennant Odds
The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy favorites to win the National League pennant, but there are plenty of other teams in the running. Which squad will claim the NL crown in October?
According to oddsmakers, the Dodgers have 13/10 odds to win the National League pennant. The Atlanta Braves have the next-best odds at 5/1, while the Chicago Cubs are listed at 8/1. The Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals are all set at 10/1. The St. Louis Cardinals have odds of 15/1. The worst odds to win the NL pennant belong to the Miami Marlins at 2500/1. A full list of teams can be found at our MLB Future Odds Page.
Los Angeles Dodgers
There is arguably not a more complete team in baseball as the Dodgers employ a balanced roster with matchup nightmare at every position, while its starting rotation is led by a pair of All-Stars in Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw. The bullpen is led by an established elite closer in Kenley Jansen, while the bridge arms to get to him can be trusted. With the return from injury of shortstop Corey Seager and outfielder A.J. Pollock, LA is set up to run away with the AL West and enjoy a fantastic postseason run.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves are enjoying the fruits of having a fantastic farm system and international scouting team as a lot of its young core has been at the forefront of the great first half of the season. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies are both having very good offensive seasons, while veterans such as elite-hitting first baseman Freddie Freeman and catcher Brian McCann make the Atlanta offense outstanding from top to bottom. The pitching staff has been solidified with the signing of former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel, while Mike Soroka is proving to be worth the hype as a touted young pitcher.
Chicago Cubs
While it seems as though the Cubs have been a bit of a disappointment since winning the World Series in 2016, the offensive core is still intact and the bullpen is in good enough shape. There are some question marks with the rotation and Chicago will need a big leap forward from Yu Darvish if an NL pennant is in the cards. With the National League Central a wide-open race at the moment, Chicago is going to play a lot of meaningful baseball down the stretch just in order to qualify for the playoffs.