MLB World Series Betting Guide: Strategies, Statistics & Picks

What is the World Series?

The World Series is an end-of-season best-of-seven baseball series in the MLB that will determine which franchise will be crowned champions for that season and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy.

In 1903, the then Pittsburgh Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss challenged the Boston Red Box to a Worlds Championship Series, at the time the Pirates were the best team in the National League and the Red Sox the best in the American League, and the MLB World Series was born or 'Baseball World's Championships' as it was initially known.

Since 1995, the current system has been in place where the Division Series is followed by the League Championship Series and then the World Series to determine that season's champions.

Previously the home-field advantage went to the league that won the All-Star Game, a game that takes place the same week as the Home Run Derby, however, since 2017 that now goes to the team with the better regular season record.

2024 MLB Season Preview

The 2024 MLB regular season will start on Thursday the 28th of March 2024 and run through to the 29th of September, this season will include the 94th All-Star Game which this year will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home of the Texas Rangers and is scheduled to take place on the 16th of July.

After a host of changes last season, there are no significant changes planned for 2024. This season looks set to be the last season of the Oakland Athletics with plans to move the franchise to Las Vegas pending approval from other MLB owners.

Significant anniversaries this season include the 70th season of the Baltimore Orioles, the 20th anniversary of the Phillies playing at Citizens Bank Park, and the 20th anniversary of the Padres playing at Petco Park.

MLB General Manager Changes for 2024

• Chris Getz replaces Rick Hahn (White Sox)
• Peter Bendix replaces Kim Ng (Marlins)
• Craig Breslow replaces Brian O'Halloran (Red Sox)
• David Stearns replaces Billy Eppler (Mets)
• Vacant (Rays)

MLB Field Manager Changes for 2024

• Bob Melvin replaces Gabe Kapler (Giants)
• Carlos Mendoza replaces Buck Showalter (Mets)
• Ron Washington replaces Phil Nevin (Angels)
• Stephen Vogt replaces Terry Francona (Guardians)
• Craig Counsell replaces David Ross (Cubs)
• Mike Shildt replaces Bob Melvin (Padres)
• Joe Espada replaces Dusty Baker (Astros)
• Pat Murphy replaces Craig Counsell (Brewers)

2023 World Series Recap

Who Won the World Series? The Texas Rangers went into the postseason in 2023 a team in form, they finished the regular season by winning eight of their final twelve games and finished with an identical 90-72 record as the Astros with the Astros clinching the AL West due to their head-to-head record over the Rangers during the season. They headed into the postseason as the fifth seed which set up a wild card series with the fourth seed Rays and despite having to play on the road they won both games (4-0 & 7-1) to advance to the division series.

There they came up against the number one seed, the Orioles who had had a fantastic season, the only team in the American League to record 100+ regular season wins (101-61), however, in a best-of-five series, the Rangers made easy work of them, winning both games in Baltimore (3-2 & 11-8) before sealing a whitewash at home with a 7-1 victory to wrap up the series 3-0.

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They went into the ALCS on the back of a 5-0 record in the postseason and would face the Astros, they went to Houston to win the opening two games (2-0 & 5-4) to open up a 2-0 series lead and make it 7-0 in post-season! However, they were brought back to earth with the Astros winning the next three all in Texas but this seemed to be a series for the road team as returning to Houston, the Rangers won both games (9-2 & 11-4) to wrap the series 4-3 and head to their first World Series since 2011.

In the World Series, they came up against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the sixth-seed team from the National League who like the Rangers had probably been overachieving. The Rangers got off to a good start with a 6-5 win at home but a day later, still in Texas, the D-Backs tied the series up with a 9-1 victory. The teams headed to Arizona all tied up but this remarkable road form continued, the Ranger won three on the bounce (3-1, 11-7 & 5-0) to win the series 4-1 and win their first-ever World Series and the road form was the reason why, they went 11-0 on the road in post-season!

Past World Series Winners

Below are the last ten winners of the world series:

Who are the most successful team in the World Series?

The New York Yankees have made a total of forty World Series appearances, their first coming in 1921 when they lost 5-3 to the Giants, a year later it was much of the same, being beaten 4-0 by the Giants in the world series but they got their revenge a year later when winning their maiden title in 1923 beating the Giants 4-2. They have now notched up a total of twenty-seven World Series wins, which is sixteen more than anyone else, they have also lost thirteen times meaning they have a  67.5% win rate when making the World Series but their last success was in 2009 and that is the only world series they have made since 2004.

The St. Louis Cardinals are next on the list but that is still some sixteen wins less than the Yankees, they have picked up a total of eleven wins from nineteen World Series appearances, and they have placed in four since 2004, they lost in 2004 but won it in both 2006 & 2011 but were again beaten in 2013 so in terms of win percentage in the world series, despite winning eleven their win percentage of .57.9% is the worst of the top four teams to win the world series as the Athletics are 64.3% (9 wins & 5 defeats) and the Red Sox are 69.2% (9 wins & 4 defeats).

At the other end of the spectrum, the 2020 winners, the LA Dodgers are one of the unluckiest when it comes to the World Series, they have appeared in twenty-one, and their 2020 success with the seventh World Series win means they have lost fourteen times, their win percentage, therefore, is only 33.3%!

Which League has produced the most World Series Wins?

Since 1903, there has been a total of one hundred and nineteen world series, there was no World Series in 1904, and again due to players striking nothing in 1994 and it is the American League who holds the upper hand with sixty-eight World Series wins compared to the fifty-one from the National League.

In more recent times it has been much closer, since 2000, twelve of the twenty-four have gone to National League sides with the other twelve going to the American League side so there has not been a great deal between them in recent years.

How does Regular Season form Stake Up?

Over the last ten seasons, there has been a total of eight league-winning teams making the World Series and they have mixed fortunes with a 5-3 record although one of the World Series did feature both league winners.

Should you back the form team? In 2021 the Braves headed into the post-season with an 8-2 record in their final ten regular season games and they faced the Astros in the World Series who ended their regular season with a 4-6 record.

Then in 2022, the Astros went into the post-season ending the regular season with a 7-3 record and up against the 4-6 Phillies and it was once again the form team who won the World Series.