Win the World Series with this +1200 team

MLB World Series

PublishedOctober 1, 2024, 8:04 a.m. EDT|UpdatedOctober 1, 2024, 8:04 a.m. EDT

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MLB World Series

The MLB playoffs start today and if you know anything about me and baseball, it's that I love the daily games and very rarely like the futures. I've had good results with some in the past, but I've had major problems with others. For example, this year I hit the Brewers at +700 and won the NL Central Division. Great! I also wrote somewhere that I think the White Sox could win over 60 games this season (that was before they traded Cease and everyone else). They lost most of their games in the modern era. Just like in baseball, you hit some and then miss some. Today I'm telling you my pick to win the World Series champion: the San Diego Padres at +1200.

The San Diego Padres finished the season with a record of 93-69, tied for the third-best record in the National League, and entered the playoffs as the top wild card winner. There was a time this season when it looked like we weren't even going to get the Padres into the playoffs. Somehow they made a huge push and catapulted themselves into the mix. They finished the season nine games above .500 at home and 15 games better on the road, unmatched by any other National League team, and trail only the Yankees in most road wins. To win in baseball you have to take care of your home field, but being able to win on the road shows me that your team is consistent and can play in tough situations. Take the Colorado Rockies, for example, who are just seven games under .500 at home this season and 33 fewer games on the road. What I like most about the Padres is not only that they win on the road, but also that the roster has talent from 1-9 and not just one or two guys with power. If you take Aaron Judge and Juan Soto out of the Yankees' lineup, they are on par with the Pirates and Mariners in terms of offensive prowess. This is really bad. The Padres have a more balanced approach. Look, if you took Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado out, it would certainly hurt the Padres, but I'm saying that the team is more than just those two guys. I really like this lineup and think the balance between power hitting and average hitting will benefit them in the playoffs as they constantly face an opposing team's best pitchers.

July 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease (84) celebrates with his teammates after completing a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Pitching often matters in the postseason, and that's a scary consideration for most teams. For the Padres, they're actually pretty full there too. They have Dylan Cease, who they acquired in the aforementioned trade, Yu Darvish, who returned from personal issues, Joe Musgrove, one of the most underrated starters in baseball, and Michael King, who had the ninth-lowest ERA and 10th-most strikeouts this season. That's just the starting staff. Four arms that will be difficult for any opponent to overcome. Of course, if any of them struggle in the postseason, things will look a lot bleaker, but the bullpen has been great too. Robert Suarez was a good closer and should be able to handle high-pressure situations. Tanner Scott was also great for the Padres. So, a good starting staff and a strong bullpen back end, what's not to like about the Padres? Well, for me it would be an inconsistency. They have been letting me down for two years now when I choose them for future awards or success. I like wild card winners because they play immediately and are usually the hottest teams coming into the playoffs.

When was the last time I met a World Series champion? I bet on the Nationals to win in 2019. I don't want to say I always bet on a winner before the playoffs start, but there have certainly been times when I've tried. I named Jorge Soler World Series MVP when he played for the Braves for a nice payday. So it's not like I'm nailing every future or missing them all. This is a game that I think has good value and is worth playing at +1200 or better. I do believe they can and will win, but I won't blame you if you don't run to the window.