There’s a lot to unpack whenever discussing American League winner odds, picks and predictions. When talking about American League champions, it’s hard to look past what the Houston Astros have done in the recent past. Houston has played in seven-straight American League Championship Series and represented the American League in the World Series four times during that stretch.
It’s no surprise that the Astros (+370) are the betting favorite for the American League pennant once again this season. For the adventurous sports bettor however, there may be value in looking elsewhere for the American League Champion.
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2024 American League Winner Odds, Picks & Predictions
2024 American League Winner Odds
| Team | Odds to Win the AL |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros | +370 |
| New York Yankees | +500 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +550 |
| Texas Rangers | +700 |
| Minnesota Twins | +850 |
| Seattle Mariners | +900 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +950 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1500 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +2500 |
| Detroit Tigers | +2500 |
| Boston Red Sox | +3000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +6500 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +8000 |
| Chicago White Sox | +150000 |
| Oakland Athletics | +250000 |
American League Winner Picks & Predictions
Looking at the history of the list of American League contenders, the one team that sticks out as a true value is the Seattle Mariners, listed at +900 on most sportsbooks with odds ranging up to +1000 on Caesars and Bet365. In 2023, the Mariners finished third in the AL West with an 88-74 record, winning 50 of their final 82 regular season games but finished one game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final American League Wild Card spot. With a young nucleus of talent and an aggressive President of Baseball Operations in Jerry DiPoto, the team appears ready to attack the 2024 season with a renewed sense of confidence.
The Mariners have arguably the best and deepest pitching rotation in the American League, anchored by Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. The trio of aces combined for 40 pitching victories, tied for the most by a set of three teammates in the American League in 2023 (Baltimore Orioles; Kyle Gibson, Dean Kremer and Kyle Bradish). All three pitched at least 190.0 innings over the course of the season, the only set of three teammates in the MLB to reach that mark a year ago.
Breakout sophomores Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller round out the rotation while former first-round draft pick Emerson Hancock is waiting in the wings for his chance to shine at the major league level as well. All three made their MLB debuts in 2023 with varying levels of success. Miller finished with an 8-7 record over 131.1 innings pitched while Woo rung up a 9.5 K/9 rate over 87.2 innings of work.
In addition to their outstanding rotation, the Mariners have retooled their bullpen into a reliable unit as well. Andres Munoz returns as the closer while newly-signed Ryne Stanek, Gregory Santos and Matt Brash will serve as the setup men. Brash finished third in the MLB (among pitchers with at least 50.0 IP) with a 13.5 K/9 rate in 2023 while Santos was sneaky good as a member of the Chicago White Sox bullpen a year ago. Once completely healthy, the Seattle bullpen could be a shutdown unit for the final 3-4 innings of the ballgame on a regular basis.
The offense is led by perennial MVP candidate Julio Rodriguez, who finished last season with a .275 batting average, 32 home runs and 37 steals for fourth in the AL MVP voting. To protect him in the lineup, the Mariners acquired Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver this offseason adding a ton of pop to an underrated offense. Don’t sleep on the acquisition of Luke Raley and the return of Mitch Haniger, either.
Currently sitting as high as +1000, the Mariners would have to overcome division rivals Houston and the reigning World Series Champion Texas Rangers to win the first AL Pennant in franchise history.
American League Winner Pick: Seattle Mariners (+1000 on Caesars)
