The 2020 MLB season is one of the most unique seasons in the long history of baseball. Teams will play 60 games instead of 162, double headers will last seven innings rather than nine, and extra innings start with a runner on second base.
It is hard enough to predict baseball in any season let alone in a season as wacky as this one. Anyone looking to place a bet on the World Series winner has a lot to consider. These MLB lines will have factored the altered mindset of a team during a 60-game sprint, with shorter betting lines something that will be prominent throughout the abbreviated season.
Early Surprises
American League
For example, several teams with top-ten draft picks this year have started out strong. Most notably, the Baltimore Orioles are 5-3 entering play Tuesday. The Orioles have picked first or second overall in the MLB Draft in consecutive years after losing well-over 100 games in back-to-back seasons.
The exclamation point came when they swept the Tampa Bay Rays, who are one of the favorites in the American League. No one thought the Orioles would contend, and, yet, they are in second place in the AL East after 13% of the season.
The Detroit Tigers have endured a long rebuild and 2020 was supposed to be another year of development for their young players. The Tigers run of futility has led to their picking with the first overall draft pick twice in the last three seasons, and they were not expected to be relevant after losing 114 games in 2019.
Early on, they are surprising. The team boasts a 5-5 record through ten games, which equates to 16% of their season. Their most notable performance saw them win two out of three games in their opening weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds, who many think can win the NL Central.
National League
The Colorado Rockies made the postseason in 2017 and 2018, but they lost 91 games in 2019. As is typically the case, their pitching staff was a big issue all season long. Low expectations followed them into the season, but they have played very well so far.
Their record is 7-2 through 15% of their season. Entering play on Tuesday, they are ahead of the powerhouse-favorite Los Angeles Dodgers and in first place in the NL West. Surprisingly, their collective 3.15 ERA is the sixth-best in baseball.
Another surprise team in the NL West is the San Diego Padres. San Diego has not made the postseason since 2006, the second-longest active streak in MLB. Their time to contend has been expected to come sooner rather than later because of their wealth of young talent and key veteran additions. They showed flashes of promise in 2019, but ultimately lost 92 games.
They appear to be turning a corner so far in 2020. Their 7-4 record ties them with the Dodgers for second place in the division. They have played 18% of their season already.
Many expected at least one surprise team because of the wacky nature of the 2020 MLB season. Now that eight teams will get into the playoffs in each league, total chaos could ensue. Clearly, teams like the Orioles, Tigers, Rockies and Padres recognize that opportunity and are off to good starts with hopes of making the postseason.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
