Three Long-Shot MLB Futures Worth Betting on Before the Playoff Push

As we head toward the dog days of summer, the sports calendar is awfully light, so here are some fun long-shot futures to keep you interested down the stretch this baseball season.

Cleveland Guardians +500 to make the playoffs

Yes, the Guardians did just lose 10 games in a row. I don’t have many arguments for that. However, Cleveland has played more games against teams above .500 than any other team in baseball, and their upcoming schedule is very light.

In their next 35 games, only three of them are against teams above .500. I’d also expect them to eventually call up some of their top hitting prospects to potentially improve what is one of the worst offenses in baseball.

I think the Guardians’ pitching staff has really found something recently, so if their offense can show any signs of life, they could get right back into a weak wild-card race.

Cal Raleigh AL MVP +600

At this moment, the MVP is Aaron Judge’s to lose. He’s currently putting up one of the greatest offensive seasons we’ve ever seen.

However, MLB awards voters are pretty stupid and can easily fall for a great storyline. A few things need to go right for Raleigh to win the MVP.

1. He has to win the home run crown.
2. If he wins the Home Run Derby, it’ll certainly help the storyline.
3. If Judge happens to miss a few weeks with an injury, Raleigh might be able to make up some ground in total WAR.

That’s a lot to happen, but storylines and voter fatigue could potentially make +600 an interesting line to take.

Milwaukee Brewers +1400 to win the NL

This bet has the furthest odds, but I honestly like it the most. The Brewers have one of the best rotations in all of baseball.

• Freddy Peralta: 2.74 ERA
• Jacob Misiorowski: 2.81 ERA
• Jose Quintana: 3.28 ERA
• Quinn Priester: 3.59 ERA

All of this, and Brandon Woodruff looked quite sharp in his first start since 2023, going six innings and striking out eight Marlins batters.

The offense is fine. This bet is relying on Milwaukee to go get a bat at the deadline, something they’ve shown they’re willing to do in the past.

If the Dodgers continue to deal with more injuries down the stretch, the NL might be wide open, so why not take a shot on the team with one of the deepest rotations in the sport?