All Rise For The Yankees Betting Preview

New York Yankees Preview

Baseball has been one of my better sports to bet on over the years, but I will admit I have at least on major shortcoming. That would be the futures market for baseball. My guy Geoff Clark is significantly better at picking winners for awards, divisions, and wins. I will say I’ve given out the Brewers to win the division the past two years, and that won, but aside from that, not much luck. I also picked the White Sox to go over their win total (prior to trading Dylan Cease) the year they lost more than basically anyone ever. The Yankees have their eyes, as always, on a World Series, can they make it?

Last year recap:

The Yankees tied for the best record in the American League in the regular season (with the Blue Jays), but that didn’t get them all that far. If you recall, they started the season rather hot, and with a bit of controversy. Most people were complaining about them using torpedo bats. After that died down, Aaron Judge carried the team for a couple of months, batting close to .400 and looking like a beast. He once again won the MVP award last year. They won the Wild Card series against the Red Sox with some gusty performances from young guys. They then lost in four games to the Blue Jays. 

Offseason moves:

There was only one major move that the Yankees had on their agenda last season, it was to resign Cody Bellinger. They finally did that just a little bit ago and he is locked up for a few seasons now. They signed a few players that are not really major difference makers, but they did trade for Ryan Weathers who should give some innings to their starting rotation. The biggest addition really will be that Gerrit Cole should be coming back healthy for the rotation.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 01: Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees looks on during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Roster:

Let’s stick with the rotation for now. The team should have Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Cam Schlittler, Wil Warren, Luis Gil, and Weathers as options. The first three are going to be the primary hurlers, but Cole will be eased back into the mix. With injuries being a certainty, it was a great idea to get the depth for their staff. I’m not fully convinced this bullpen will be elite. They are decent, but I think they are lacking the shut down arms they will need in the playoffs. There is plenty of time to address that, though. David Bednar, their closer, was fine last year, but I’d put him lower in my rankings a lot of other closers. For the lineup, I just don’t feel like they strike a lot of fear into teams. Judge is obviously elite, but he is 33 now, and will be 34 in April. When healthy, he is one of the best hitters in the game. Bellinger is talented, but we’ve also seen that he can struggle significantly for full years. Giancarlo Stanton played in just 77 games last year, but still hit 24 homers. His health will be a major factor for the team. Outside of that, I feel like the Yankees just have average guys. Not everyone can be the Dodgers and field and All-Star team, but it seems like New York has a lot of spots they could make major upgrades. I do think they have a good mix of defensive players, and guys that hit for average. They should be good, but I do think there are other teams that are significantly better.

Betting Outlook:

The Yankees are the second favorite to win the World Series. I don’t hate it because I think their pitching staff could do it. However, I really don’t see a value on any of the markets with them for the division or even the ALCS. Their win total this season is 91.5 and I do lean under. One injury to one of the main guys I mentioned is likely to significantly harm their offense. I really do like the pitching staff, but they are in one of the toughest divisions, so I don’t want to back the over. I’d stay away altogether.

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