The Los Angeles Dodgers sat on top of the baseball world last season after losing the fall classic in 2017 and 2018. It was their first championship since the improbable win in 1988 which featured the unforgettable Kirk Gibson home run off Dennis Eckersley.
Off to a 43-37 start this season, the Dodgers are 1 ½ games behind the surprising San Francisco Giants in the NL West. Despite looking up in the standings, the Dodgers are +340 betting favorites to win the 2021 World Series., according to sports betting websites. If the Dodgers prevail, they will become the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Derek Jeter led Yankees took home three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
The oddsmakers are seeing the Dodgers having the deepest roster in the league and with reigning Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer, having the pitching staff to get through the postseason.
The Dodgers are led offensively by first baseman Max Muncy, who 14 home runs and 33 RBI. Justin Turner has added 12 home runs with a team-high 37 RBI, Chris Taylor has added 10 home runs and 37 RBI, and Mookie Betts has a team-leading 19 doubles and eight home runs. As a team, the Dodgers are averaging nearly 5.3 runs per game.
On the mound, the Dodgers have arguably the best one through four of any team in the Major League and will be the key to their long-term success. Bauer is 7-5 with a 2.45 ERA. Walker Buehler is 7-0 with a 2.38 ERA. Veteran Clayton Kershaw has added eight wins with a respectable 3.36 ERA and Julio Urias leads the team in wins with nine. Closer Kenley Jansen is having one of his best seasons, posting a 1.57 ERA, 17 saves, and only nine hits allowed in 28 2/3 innings.
The Dodgers could have some stern competition in the National League to get back to the World Series. The Padres (+700), Mets (+900), and Braves (+2000) are the next most likely in the National League to come out on top. In the American League, the White Sox are +650 to win the World Series, followed by the Yankees (+1100) and Tampa Bay Rays (+1500).
A proud franchise with seven World Series titles, and 24 National League Pennants, the 2021 Dodgers have an excellent chance to tie the Giants for the 5th most titles of all time, behind the Yankees, Cardinals, Red Sox, and Athletics.
