It’s nearly two months into the 2026 MLB season and we're starting to get a good idea of which teams will be playing meaningful games during the dog days of summer and into the early fall for the right to be called World Series champion. Teams like the Dodgers, Yankees and Cubs have met high pre-season expectations, while the Rockies, Marlins, and Royals have met their low pre-season expectations. There have been plenty of surprise teams in the early going of the season as well.
Below, we’ll take a look at the Fanatics World Series odds board and highlight which teams have made the biggest move up the board, and which teams have fallen the farthest down.
(Stats and records from May 16)
Risers
Atlanta Braves
The Braves were ninth on the pre-season World Series odds board and are now sitting right behind the Dodgers (+235) and Yankees (+470). Atlanta began the season with +1800 odds to win it all, and Walt Weiss’ club is now +750.
The Braves own the best record in baseball at 31-14. They lead MLB in team ERA (2.99), team batting average (.268) and team RBI (235).
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay has made a huge jump up the odds board as it began the season with +8000 odds to capture the Commissioner’s Trophy, and now sits with a +2000 price. Only five teams appear ahead of them on the Fanatics Sportsbook World Series odds board.
Tampa Bay has received outstanding production from Jonathan Aranda (33 RBI) at the plate, and Nick Martinez (1.70 ERA) on the mound.
Athletics
The Athletics have been one of the more pathetic franchises in all of North American sports these past few years, so much so that MLB doesn’t even recognize the city they currently play in.
They simply go by one name: The Athletics. Like Rihanna, or Madonna.
Nonetheless, the Athletics currently sit atop the AL West standings in part to their robust pool of young talent. Their pre-season World Series odds were +8000 and they are currently +4000.
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox began the season tied with the Rockies and Nationals for having the lowest expectations. All three of those teams had +50000 odds to win it all.
The Pale Hose aren’t exactly steamrolling through their schedule, but they have a respectable 22-22 record and are very much alive for an AL Central title or Wild Card spot.
Chicago has been led this season by Munetaka Murakami (15 home runs) at the dish, and Davis Martin (1.62 ERA) on the mound.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians were +7000 to win the World Series ahead of the start of the season. They now sit with a +3500 price to win it all at Fanatics Sportsbook. Cleveland is 25-22 on the season and in first place in the AL Central.
The Guardians’ pitching staff leads the American League in strikeouts with 432 on the season. Gavin Williams (5-3, 3.74 ERA, 66Ks) leads a talented rotation.
Disappointments
New York Mets
Carlos Mendoza’s seat is not just hot, it’s engulfed in flames as the Mets have been the biggest disappointment in MLB thus far. Only the Dodgers, Yankees and Mariners were ahead of the Mets on the World Series odds board at the start of the season. New York was +1300 to win it all in late March. The Mets are now +4750 at Fanatics.
They endured an embarrassing 12-game losing streak in April, but have been better of late. They are 9-5 in the month of May but still reside in last place in the NL East with a 19-26 record.
Boston Red Sox
Fans at Fenway have been chanting “sell the team!” at owner John Henry as the Red Sox sit in the basement of the AL East. Henry fired manager Alex Cora on April 25, but the move has not exactly inspired Boston to make a turnaround. The Sox are 9-9 under interim manager Chad Tracy. Boston is having a brutal time scoring runs as it has scored five or more runs in just four games under Tracy’s watch.
The Sox had +1600 World Series odds at the start of the season, but are now +4750 to win the title.
Toronto Blue Jays
The defending American League champions were +1500 to win it all prior to the start of the season, but now own a +2800 price at Fanatics. Toronto has had some brutal losing streaks this season as it lost six in a row from April 1 to April 7, four in a row from April 15 to April 18, four in a row from May 3 to May 6, and three in a row from May 10 to May 12.
John Schneider’s club has been weak in the power department as it has just 41 homers on the season, which ranks 21st in MLB.
Houston Astros
The Astros began the season with +2500 odds to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy in 2026, but now sit at Fanatics with a +7000 price. The main issue for Houston has been its pitching as it has an MLB-worst 5.37 team ERA. The Astros staff has walked 240 batters this season, which is also the worst mark in baseball. Joe Espada’s crew had an eight-game losing streak in April, which was the franchise’s worst skid since 2013.
LA Angels
The Angels improved their win total by nine game from 2024 to 2025 and there was optimism that they would make another leap this season. Big things were expected from their young core of Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and Logan O’Hoppe, but the group has underwhelmed thus far in 2026. Mike Trout is healthy and having his best season since pre-Covid but it hasn’t been enough.
Kurt Suzuki, who was hired as manager last fall despite no professional coaching experience, has the Angels at 16-30 on the season. That is the worst record in MLB.
The Angels were +25000 to win the World Series ahead of the season, and are now +50000.
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