According to Las Vegas oddsmaker Bovada, the Mets are now at 14:1 odds to win the World Series. That is up from 33:1 last December and 22:1 in February.
The only teams with better odds are:
Los Angeles Dodgers 6:1
St. Louis Cardinals 7:1
Detroit Tigers 15:2
Kansas City Royals 9:1
Washington Nationals 10:1
The Mets’ odds to win the National League championship are at 15:2.
With the sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, the Mets are now 18-10 and on pace for 104 wins this season. Of course few expect them to continue playing ball at a .650 winning percentage, but they’ve already banked enough wins to give them a nice cushion. All of a sudden a 90 Win season and a playoff berth seem well within reach and no longer the laughing matter it was two weeks ago.
Propelling the Mets has been a remarkable resilience and ability to bounce back. Terry Collins, for all the Hell he catches – especially from me – has kept the team playing on an even keel and has fostered an environment that has allowed several players to emerge as leaders. The players play each inning believing they can win even in the face of defeat or a losing streak.
But it takes more than a state of mind to win ballgames. The Mets are armed with a powerhouse rotation that now features four of their five starters boasting an ERA under 3.00 and having walked the fewest batters in the majors. The bullpen has yet blow a win that’s been handed to them and the Mets are a remarkable 17-0 when leading after the 6th inning.
The offense has been less than robust, but it has been timely and in most cases, just enough. Perhaps Daniel Murphy is the poster boy for this phenomenon, owning a .210 batting average and .599 OPS, but leading the team with 18 RBIs.
Whatever you want to call it, the fact is this team has been as fun and exciting to watch as they promised, and I’m enjoying every minute of it. LGM
