As the 2023 MLB season is about to get started, our staff has compiled MLB betting futures worth consideration. Rather than attacking World Series Odds, I decided to target Jose Abreu as a longshot worth considering for MLB RBI leader odds.
If you are looking to place an AL MVP bet, consider reading Eli Hershkovich’s Longshot AL MVP piece.
Click on any of the odds below to place a wager.
BEST AVAILABLE MLB RBI LEADER ODDS
MLB RBI LEADER LONGSHOT BET
Last year, Abreu saw his power and RBI numbers dip slightly. The RBI dip can partly be explained due to Tim Anderson missing time. The Sox leadoff hitter played in only 79 games a year ago due to an injury on his left middle finger, leaving a massive hole at the top of their lineup. The Sox offense struggled for much of the season without him.
Similarly, Jose Altuve will miss the season’s first two months with a broken thumb. That said, the Astros lineup is a significant upgrade over Abreu’s last team the White Sox. The Astros had three players in their lineup that finished in the top 20 in on-base percentage last season.
- Yordan Alvarez .406 OBP (third in MLB)
- Altuve .387 OBP (seventh)
- Alex Bregman .366 OBP (20th)
For perspective, no one on the Sox finished in the top 70 in that category besides Abreu. Abreu could have three or more hitters in front of him with an OBP over .350 this season. Michael Brantley finished last season with a .370 OBP but failed to qualify for the leaderboard since he played only 64 games. He will presumably hit second in the Astros lineup (Editor’s note: he’s also on the shelf to start the season). Even without Altuve in the lineup to start the season, plenty of guys should get on base in front of Abreu.
Disregarding the shortened 2020 season, the Astros have finished in the top 10 in runs scored each of the last three seasons. Most notably in 2021, when they led baseball with 863 runs.
Join TheLines.com’s free Discord channel with more than 4,300 members talking sports betting every day.
ABREU’S HISTORY
Remember that Abreu finished second in total RBIs in 2019 when he knocked in 123, just three behind the leader Anthony Rendon. He followed that season by leading baseball with 60 RBIs in the shortened 2020 season. If that history wasn’t enough, Abreu drove in 117 runs in 2021, finishing second behind Salvador Perez. There’s a deep history of Abreu finishing high in this category. Couple that with Houston’s stacked lineup, and there’s an easy route for him to get back to the top of the leaderboard. Regardless of lineup construction, if he stays healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t lead baseball once again.
Best available price:
