Phillies Being Disrespected by World Series Odds

The Philadelphia Phillies were one of the biggest disappointments of the 2019 MLB season, but that doesn't mean that 2020 can't be much better.

It's been a long time since the end of last season, but the Phillies did spend a huge chunk of cash on Zack Wheeler and Didi Gregorius in free agency. The front office clearly expects to contend, but the oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook don't share their optimism.

The Phillies are at +2500 to win the World Series, an implied probability of 3.8%. That puts them as tied for ninth overall with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. However, while the Phillies should not be considered favorites, the prospect of a shortened regular season that could increase randomness is in their favor.

There's no doubt the Phillies need to make improvements, however. After ending the year with a negative run differential and were ninth in the league in overall team ERA, there's little the team can do if they don't improve on all fronts. The Phillies boast a strong lineup anchored by Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto. They should also get Andrew McCutchen back from injury and see a bounce-back back season from Aaron Nola.

While the Phillies don't have a big group of young prospects, they do have veteran experience. They didn't lose much over the offseason and most of their players are primed to improve. There's also the potential of a trade as the Phillies have shown a willingness to take on money to improve the team.

The road won't be easy, as the Phillies will be paired against the AL East in 20 games of interleague play, but the addition of Wheeler to the rotation and the strength of their lineup should give them a fighting chance. Putting them at just a 3.8% chance of winning the World Series seems disrespectful.

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Tristan Jung is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Tristan Jung also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username tristan1117. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.