Astros fall behind Yankees, Dodgers in World Series odds

Offseason maneuverings have seen the Astros fall behind the Yankees and Dodgers in World Series odds.

It’s not been the best offseason for Houston Astros fans. First, key players Gerrit Cole, Wade Miley, Will Harris and Robinson Chirinos left for greener pastures in free agency. Then the poo hit the fan with the sign stealing investigation, resulting in the firings of Jeff Luhnow and AJ Hinch and a black eye for the organization as a whole.

Now as we finally turn our focus to the 2020 season, the Astros have predictably fallen behind the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers in the pecking order. The Astros currently have the third-best odds to win the World Series, with the Yankees and Dodgers sitting first and second, respectively.

This is predictable simply because the Astros lost some key players, most notably Cole and Harris, without really replacing them. The Yankees and Dodgers, meanwhile, have further added to their already-strong rosters, making them the prohibitive favorites to meet in the Fall Classic.

That, of course, would be a dream scenario for the league. The two biggest markets, east coast vs. west coast, two powerhouse teams and historic franchises. But the Astros will have something to say about that, as they are the defending American League champions.

Still, there’s something to be said about the fact that the Yankees and Dodgers have improved while the Astros have not. With that in mind, here’s how the Astros match up against the other two superpowers.