Juan Soto is a Yankee, and oddsmakers are digging what the Bombers are putting down so far in the MLB offseason.
In early November, oddsmakers placed the Yankees at 16/1 to win the 2024 World Series, the eighth-best odds.
Since New York’s coup to bring in Juan Soto, one of the premier left-handed hitters in the game, the sharps in Vegas have become much more bullish on New York bringing home its 28th championship.
The Yankees are now trading at +800 (11.11 percent implied) on BetMGM Sportsbook, the third-best odds in the major leagues and the clear American League favorites.
New York is +400 (20 percent implied) to win the American League pennant, ahead of the Houston Astros and reigning champion Texas Rangers, who come in at +500.
| Opening | Current |
|---|---|
| Braves +650 | Braves +650 |
| Dodgers +700 | Dodgers +700 |
| Astros +850 | Yankees +800 |
| Rangers +850 | Astros 10/1 |
| Philles 11/1 | Rangers 10/1 |
| Rays 15/1 | Phillies 12/1 |
| Yankees 16/1 | Blue Jays 14/1 |
| Orioles 16/1 | Orioles 16/1 |
| Blue Jays 17/1 | Mariners 18/1 |
| Padres 18/1 | Rays 20/1 |
| Mariners 20/1 | Mets 22/1 |
| Twins 20/1 | Cubs 25/1 |
| Mets 25/1 | Twins 25/1 |
| Diamondbacks 30/1 | Diamondbacks 30/1 |
| Red Sox 30/1 | Red Sox 30/1 |
Brian Cashman made good on his promise to improve the roster this offseason, acquiring Soto for Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito and Kyle Higashioka,
The move signals a change in the Yankees’ spending habits and philosophy, as last season they bargain-hunted for smaller pieces while negotiating a huge contract and eventually re-signing Aaron Judge.
But this time, rather than a Willie Calhoun signing, New York went big game hunting and brought home a legitimate All-Star to position itself with one of the better outfields in all of baseball.
Expect Judge to man center field, as The Post’s Greg Joyce reported Wednesday, while Soto and Alex Verdugo grab the corner spots.
While MLB awards odds are not out yet, Soto and Judge will easily be top-five MVP candidates.
You’ll also notice some mild odds movement for the Blue Jays, who jumped a bit from 17/1 to 14/1, likely due to speculation that Toronto could land reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani.
The Post’s Jon Heyman reported the Blue Jays were among the finalists for the two-way superstar.
Ohtani and fellow Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobo Yamamoto are the two significant pins still waiting to drop in free agency.
Should the Yankees win the Yamamoto bidding war, they could see themselves leap into full-blown World Series favorite status by the end of December.