3 Dark Horse Teams to Win the American League

Well, we are just a few sleeps away from the Opening Day of the 2022 MLB season. After a lot of offseason drama, we’re finally here! That leaves us with less than 48 hours to finalize all our preseason wagers for the upcoming year. With that in mind, I wanted to take a look at a few dark horse candidates to win the American League this year. There is a ton of value to be had here for those looking to take a chance. 

All odds listed below are via WynnBET Sportsbook.

Tampa Bay Rays +750

Despite not spending the kind of money that their NL peers do, the Rays continue to find ways to win. For starters, the Rays finished with the best record in the American League last year. They were the only AL team to win 100 games and had the third-best record in the Majors. It was their first 100-win year in franchise history. However, the fun was cut short when the Red Sox knocked them out of the ALDS.

The Rays are not known for blockbuster offseason moves and this year has been no different. The Rays are rolling with basically the same team they had in 2021. The only position player who is not returning is Joey Wendle. Meanwhile, the rotation will be the same minus Michael Wacha and Collin McHugh. To fill in those gaps, the Rays signed Core Kluber, Brooks Raley, and Jason Adam. All three are coming off disappointing years and the Rays are hoping a change of scenery will shake things up. 

Seattle Mariners +1000

This might be a stretch considering the Mariners haven’t made the playoffs since 2001. To be frank, they haven’t even gotten all that close. There have been very few winning seasons for this team in the last 20 years. But, last year felt a little different. Seattle went 90-72, and despite missing the playoffs again, looked like a much-improved team. 

Seattle fans have a lot to get excited about. Seattle has the 2020 rookie of the year, Kyle Lewis, along with top prospect Julio Rodriguez. The latter was just confirmed to have made the opening day roster. The pair could develop into one of the more fearsome outfield duos in the league. 

Minnesota Twins +2000

While there are a lot of eyes on the White Sox in the AL Central, the Twins could make a lot of noise in the league this year. First off, they have a ton of talent across the board. Their lineup features Max Kepler and Nelson Cruz to provide some pop. On the hill, their rotation features an underrated crew led by Michael Pineda, Kenta Maeda, and J.A. Happ. While nobody on the Twins is going to win a Cy Young, this is a quality group.