Cleveland Guardians 2023 Season Betting Preview

The youngest team in baseball a year ago, the Guardians won the American League Central for the fourth time in seven seasons, and they won the Wild Card Series. So expectations are sky-high for 2023, with most of their roster still intact.

Odds To Win American League Central

Cleveland Guardians (+125)

Chicago White Sox (+210)

Minnesota Twins (+220)

Detroit Tigers (+2500)

Kansas City Royals (+4000)

Since this current streak of divisional dominance began in 2016, the Guardians have turned over almost the entire roster, yet are still the best team in the Central. The White Sox and Twins could give the Guardians a run in 2023, if they can stay healthy. 

Cleveland has the better depth, and they are the deserved favorites to win the division, paying just over even money if they win.

Odds To Win The American League Pennant

Houston Astros (+250)

New York Yankees (+350)

Toronto Blue Jays (+650)

Seattle Mariners (+800)

Tampa Bay Rays (+1200)

Cleveland Guardians (+1400)

Outside of the Central Division the Guardians will have to beat several very good teams, with the Astros leading the way as the two-time defending A.L. champs. Houston has won four of the last six pennants, a streak that began after Cleveland’s last trip to the World Series.

The Guardians are paying the sixth shortest odds to win the American League, and the 12th shortest odds to win the World Series at +3000. Cleveland’s last World Series win was in 1948.

Guardians Win Total (87.5)

Bookmakers have set the Guardians win total in 2023 at 87.5, and you have to like the over. Their win totals since 2016 are 94, 102, 91, 93, 35 (COVID shortened season), 80, and 92. So just once in a full season of play have the Guardians fallen short of 88 wins.

They have easily cleared the 88-win bar in five of six seasons, and this year’s new leveled schedule should play to Cleveland’s advantage. They didn’t do better against the Tigers and Royals than the rest of their schedule, so losing some of those games doesn’t hurt. But getting to play against each of the National League teams, and not having an increase in games with the Yankees and Astros, should mean more wins for Cleveland.

Player Awards

Jose Ramirez A.L. MVP (+1600)

Shane Bieber A.L. Cy Young (+1200)

In a league with Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez will always be listed in the preseason “others” category when it comes to the American League MVP award. But he is one of the best and most complete players in baseball, and he will be in the conversation again for the MVP.

Five times in Ramirez’s career he has been an MVP finalist. He was the runner-up to Jose Abreu in 2020, and last season he finished fourth behind Judge, Ohtani, and Yordan Alverez.

Shane Bieber was the Cy Young winner in 2020 when he led the league in ERA and strikeouts. Last year he finished seventh in voting, and the 27-year-old will once again be in the mix.