The New York Yankees enter the 2013 season with less optimism than usual as aging and injuries have cast some doubts about their championship chances. New York is still viewed as an upper echelon team, though, at least according to the latest World Series odds. The Yankees are drawing +2000 moneyline odds to win the Fall Classic, which means only seven of the 30 MLB teams are listed ahead of them on most Vegas and offshore betting boards.
The Yankees are only 3.5 years removed from their most recent World Series appearance/title, but they have the look of a team that could be headed for a drop off.
There is little doubt New York is an aging franchise and many of its stars are not only aging, but also coming off significant injuries. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Alex Rodriguez are all on the mend and it is not known, with any certainty anyway, when they will be able to contribute in a meaningful fashion.
And, more recently, centerfielder Curtis Granderson, who led the team in home runs and RBI last season, suffered a broken forearm that will have him sidelined until May.
In addition to those concerns, the Yankees also have some issues with their pitching staff. New York has a decent rotation and a workhorse at the top of it in C.C. Sabathia; however, it is far from a dominant starting group (ranked 15th in MLB last year with a 4.05 ERA). Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova have proven themselves inconsistent and no one really knows if Andy Petttitte and Hiroki Kuroda will continue to perform at a high level given that they are 40 and 38 years old respectively.
The Yankees still have some really nice pieces, in particular second baseman Robinson Cano, but for the first time in a long time they appear to have more questions than answers.
2013 New York Yankees World Series Odds: Provided by TheGreek.com
To Win World Series +1250 ($100 wins $1250)
To Win American League East +235 (two of five teams)
To Win American League Pennant +650 (four of 15 teams)
Regular Season Wins: Over 88 (+100), Under 88 (-130)
New York Yankees 2013 Betting Odds
What MLB bettors need to know about the New Yankees upcoming 2013 baseball season, with insight from Johnny Detroit, Bryan Leonard and host Steve Fezzik.