MLB: 2021 National League Outlook

The 2021 MLB season will be here before we know it. The National League is full of legitimate World Series contenders. It also has a few outliers that may have the necessary talent to take the next step and make a move on becoming the World Champs.

This 2021 MLB National League outlook will give you the upper hand as you navigate the treacherous waters of betting on baseball.

1 – St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals are poised to be a severe threat in 2021. Last year, the team was knocked out of commission and forced to play catch up for the rest of the season.

Despite having to sit out the first two weeks of the 2020 season, they bounced back and finished with a winning record.

Hopefully, those painful days are behind them, and this season will be smooth sailing. St. Louis is currently +3300, and I like the value here.

There are a number of reasons I like the Cardinals in 2021; the first being the return of Yadier Molina.

Molina has been an invaluable veteran presence in the clubhouse. His performance on the field is the catalyst that ignites the younger players.

The second thing St. Louis has going for it is starting pitching. The Cards have stud pitchers crowding the top of their rotation. 

Assuming all of the starters remain healthy, this will be one of the most vital units in the National League. If Kwang Hyun Kim can live up to the hype, he’ll be an instant superstar.

Kim has the potential to be the caliber star that draws in free agents from around baseball, and the Cardinals may very well be making another series of runs deep into the playoffs.

2 – San Diego Padres

San Diego has been the sexiest team in baseball for two seasons now. Part of this is due to the immensely talented Fernando Tatis.

Tatis is one of the most electric players in the game, and with Machado returning to top form in 2020, the team made a run at the World Series.

The Padres are at +1300, and this is my favorite futures bet in MLB at the moment. I’ve bought into the Padres for several reasons.

Tatis is, of course, a tremendous talent, but there’s far more to San Diego. This team is loaded with young talent, and they’ve already shown a drive to win.

You can’t win in Major League Baseball without pitching. The addition of Mike Clevinger makes this starting rotation among the best in baseball.

The biggest obstacle the Padres will face is that they are in the same division as the Dodgers. However, I could see the Dodgers slipping just enough after their World Series win in 2020 to allow the Padres to get the division.

Regardless, they’re a shoo-in for the Wild Card and will be fired up to improve on what they accomplished in 2020. If they are one piece away or facing an injury near the All-Star break, expect the front office to make a move.

3 – Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are going to start the season around +3300 to be your next World Series winner.

Chicago has all of the pieces that a World Series contender could hope for and more. In fact, the only element that Chicago would possibly look at adding is starting pitching.

The cubs may add small pieces, but you shouldn’t expect any substantial blockbuster deals involving the Cubs. The team that easily clinched their division last year is bringing back the same cast, and you should expect a similar result.

The Cardinals want desperately to take the title, and if the health concerns of 2020 are behind them, I see no reason why the NL Central won’t be an all-out brawl.

Chicago will need to catch fire to contend for a World Series, but it’s all about who goes into the postseason the hottest. Look at the Cubs to pose a tremendous value as the NL Champions.

4 – Washington Nationals

Two years removed from their World Series title, the Washington Nationals are +3500 to repeat the task. However, this is not the same team that won a championship in 2019.

For starters, the infield is a disaster. Free agency has decimated the team’s core players, and all-star shortstop Trea Turner will see new faces as he moves the ball around the infield.

Washington has yet to make any significant off-season moves. It looks like young players will have an opportunity to step into the spotlight and shine, with one exception being veteran Starlin Castro. But the utility infielder is unlikely to have any real impact on the season.

The Nationals could also use some help in the bullpen. The core here is reliable, but it’s hard to make a late-season run without much depth to keep everyone well-rested and sharp.

If the Nationals could add a second hard closer, it would lighten the starters’ load and mid-relievers.

Juan Soto will join Turner in the batting order and try to spark something offensively. Although, these two will, unfortunately, have to do most of the heavy lifting.

I’ll have to pass on the Nationals for 2021. Unless they can repair the damage done in free agency, it may be a mess for several years to come.

5 – Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves haven’t seen a World Series title since 1995. At +1200, they are definitely among the favorites for 2021.

Atlanta has said goodbye to the 2020 NL home run leader, Ozuna, to free agency. However, the Braves have not one but two of the best players in baseball.

Freddie Freeman is the early favorite for NL MVP, and Ronald Acuna is easily a top-10 player in MLB. These two electrifying presences in the game give Atlanta all the star power a team could hope to find.

Still, you’ll need pitching to win a title. Fortunately for the Braves, they don’t lack in this department either.

Expect the Braves to spend some money on pitching before the season starts. They’ll be looking for a premier starting pitcher to fill a slot at the top of their rotation.

The Braves ownership and front office know that they’re only one piece away from bringing home the first World Series trophy in over 25 years, and they’re willing to spend the money to have another title.

6 – Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are not in a perfect position heading into the 2021 season. They are currently +10000, and there’s not any value, even at those massive numbers.

It doesn’t help that the Rockies are in the strongest division in baseball, but if you dumped them in the AL West, I’m not sure they’d be a top 4 team.

There are holes up and down this team’s roster, and much of the holes are in the pitching staff. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple as adding a couple of relievers and a starter.

Colorado needs to revamp the entire rotation. It seems like the franchise is in absolutely no position to make the necessary additions, and Colorado is entering a long rebuilding phase.

Besides, the need to fill a hole at first base and get some bullpen help outweighs their need for starting pitching.

The Rockies won’t be the worst team in baseball, but they have as much of a chance of winning the World Series as the Dallas Cowboys do of winning the Super Bowl.

7 – Dodgers

It’s not going to come as much of a surprise that the Dodgers sit comfortably at +425. The Dodgers are an overwhelming favorite to repeat as World Champions.

Why wouldn’t they be favored?

They are easily as reliable as any team in baseball, and they’ve already shown that they can do it with the pieces they have in place.


Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts are an even better one-two punch than Freeman and Acuna in Atlanta. These two would be battling each other for MVP status if they were on separate teams.

NL contenders like the Braves, Cardinals, and the divisional rival San Diego Padres all have their crosshairs trained squarely on the Dodgers’ backs and look to knock them off the top spot.

However, this will indeed be a challenging feat.

The biggest issue I have with the Dodgers is that I don’t see the value in betting on them. The Braves and Padres are going off at much better lines.

That’s enough to push me off Los Angeles, but I won’t be surprised if we see a repeat.

Conclusion

Your 2021 MLB National League outlook gives you the teams to follow and ones to avoid. My money will be hopping on the Padres bandwagon, and I may even order a Tatis shirt for the season.

Still, I may slide a few bucks towards the Braves, and I’ll be a winner either way. The Braves and Padres are two teams that are entering 2021 looking to make a statement.