MLB Mid-Season Futures

Hey everybody!

My name is Zach, and I am very excited to be joining the team at Just A Bet Outside.

Now that we are officially past the MLB all-star break, I'd like to share some baseball futures that I like for the rest of the 2025 season. As always, be sure to search for the best odds you can get, whether you use FanDuel, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Caesars, or MGM. Or, if you’re an older soul like me, just drive to the nearest casino to place a live ticket. But either way, be sure to shop around for the best prices.

Alright, let’s jump in!

1. Detroit Tigers to win the AL pennant (+290 on DraftKings) While I don’t love odds below +300 when picking a league winner, there are enough factors in Detroit’s favor to make me think they are a clear favorite in the American League. They currently boast a 10-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, so there’s almost no danger of them missing the playoffs. They are also a favorite to secure a bye to the division round. Yes, they recently had a six-game losing streak, but that followed a five-game winning streak. They have room for error and Kerry Carpenter should be returning in the coming weeks to a line up that includes Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson (who have combined for 46 home runs) and a team of veterans poised to make a deep run. And Tarik Skubal is, for my money, the best pitcher in baseball and a frontline ace who will pitch at least two games each series. The Tigers haven’t won a world series in over 40 years. I think they’ll at least find themselves in a real position to break the streak.

2. Philadelphia Phillies to win the NL pennant (+500 on ESPN Bet) These odds feel a tad respectful to veteran team that is a real threat every year. The Dodgers are understandably the favorites, while the Phillies and Cubs share the same odds behind them. I see value with both squads, as Chicago has surpassed expectations and their line up has become scary. But I’ll go with Philly, with Cy Young co-favorite Zack Wheeler at the top of the rotation (more on him below), and a strong line up that features Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and all-star game hero Kyle Schwarber each seeing at least four at-bats a game. The other reason I like Philly at +500? Should they make the NLDS or NLCS, it’s potentially an easy hedge spot if you want to pick their opponent (and likely an underdog) at plus odds. Or if you want to get really creative, take their competition at +1.5 games and there is a possibility you win both bets.

3. Cal Raleigh to win AL MVP (+370 on DraftKings) I know, I know, Aaron Judge is the heavy favorite for a reason. But there are a few things potentially working against the future hall of famer. He has won two of the last four AL MVP awards, including 2024. Voter fatigue tends to set in after so much success. Further, the Yankees are not having the kind of dominant season so far that many expected. Their offense has been wildly inconsistent and manager Aaron Boone consistently makes odd decisions that tend to impact the loss column. New York has a huge series this week against the AL East leading Blue Jays. If New York drops further in the standings and Seattle makes the playoffs (or even challenges Houston for the AL West), there may be just enough holes in the Judge argument for Raleigh to snag this award. It’s also much more fun to root for Raleigh, who is having a phenomenal year for the Mariners. 38 home runs at the all-star break! And from a catcher? Sign me up at +370. However, if you can’t quite stomach going against Judge for MVP, I also like Raleigh’s home runs prop, currently sitting at 54.5 (+105 on ESPN Bet).

Side Note: as a New Englander, nothing would bring me more joy than seeing New York drop to third in the division behind the Red Sox, who despite moving on from Rafael Devers in exchange for a wildly insufficient package from the Giants, have been winning a number of games as of late, and battling consistently with an improving pitching staff.

1. Zack Wheeler to win the NL Cy Young (-115 on DraftKings) Wheeler has been awesome this year, leading the league in strikeouts and quality starts. His main competition is Pittsburgh phenom Paul Skenes, who despite his best efforts, gets limited run support from a Pirates squad that never threatens to move up in the standings. Wheeler, 35, has also never won the award before. Skenes, over a decade younger, will have many cracks at this, and I suspect voters will choose to reward the Philly ace in what may be his last shot.

2. Eugenio Suarez to lead MLB in home runs (+1900 on FanDuel) These odds are insane for a guy who is only two home runs behind the league leader and is seemingly heating up, with five home runs in his last three games. The biggest challenge with Suarez is that with Arizona failing to rise beyond fourth place in the NL West, some trades seem inevitable. Even still, I’m not ignoring +1900 odds. I believe he will hit well for a contender should he get traded, and with 36 home runs, he sits behind only Raleigh and Judge. As an aside, I’ve hit more home runs props in 2025 on Suarez than with any other player in MLB. The guy is a beast!

One final note - remember that when it comes to mid-season team wins bets, Vegas adjusts the lines accordingly, and usually not in the bettor’s favor. Often the totals seem good to be true. At this point when it comes to over/unders, I’d recommend waiting for NFL season in early September. I’ll be making NFL future picks in August.

Good luck! Zach