While the Kansas City Royals may have ultimately taken the crown this year, the Chicago Cubs are the early favorites to bring it home in 2016.
Major online sportsbook Bovada has the Cubs looking at 11/1 odds to win it all next year. Considering they began last offseason with 50/1 odds before the signing of manager Joe Maddon, it’s safe to say they’ve come a long way in a very, very short time.
They’re not out of the woods yet, though. Right behind them at 12/1 odds are the defending champ Royals, Dodgers, Mets, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Nationals. Any offseason acquisitions, big or small, can easily shift the landscape in a matter of seconds.
Still, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who thinks the Cubs will be worse off in 2016 than they were this year. With rookie youngsters like Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, and Jorge Soler expected to take the next step in their progression, Cubs fans have a reason to be excited. Add in any free agents splashes that lauded GM Theo Epstein might be able to swing (David Price anyone?), and that excitement could reach a new level.
On the other side of town, the White Sox aren’t quite looking as hot. The club was given a 50/1 shot to win the World Series next year. This mark is actually the fourth worst in all of baseball, with only the Braves (100/1), Rockies (100/1), and Phillies (200/1) trailing them. The Southsiders are likely at least a few years away from a chance at contending, though their farm system has crept up from the abysmal position it was in a few years ago.