Rays and Dodgers lead tight race for MLB top seeds
DraftKings Sportsbook odds suggest the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers are the frontrunners for the American and National League No. 1 seeds, respectively, amid a highly competitive 2026 season.
As the 2026 Major League Baseball season enters its final stretch, betting markets indicate a tightly contested race for the top seeds in both leagues. According to DraftKings Sportsbook odds released on 26 August, the Tampa Bay Rays are the favourites to secure the American League No. 1 seed, while the Los Angeles Dodgers are the leading candidates for the National League top position.
In the American League, the Rays are listed at -155, making them the clear front-runners. The New York Yankees serve as the primary challengers at +240, with the Boston Red Sox following at +900. The odds reflect the intense competition within the AL East, where the top three teams are separated by only a handful of games. Notably, each of these three clubs has seven games remaining against the other two, a schedule that could significantly impact their final standings.
The AL East’s dominance is further highlighted by the fact that three of the eight teams in baseball with at least 73 wins as of 26 August are located in this division. No other American League squad outside the East has reached 70 wins. The Chicago White Sox also feature prominently in the odds, listed at +15000, a remarkable position given that the team had accumulated only 162 wins across the previous three seasons combined.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold the top spot at -185, with the Milwaukee Brewers as the main opposition at +200. As of 26 August, only the Brewers and the Dodgers have reached the 80-win mark in the entire league. However, the Dodgers’ recent form has been tested, as they recently lost a four-game series against the Brewers in Southern California.
Historical context suggests that securing the No. 1 seed carries significant weight, with the top seed winning the World Series five times in the last 10 years. Last season, the Dodgers won the championship as the NL 3-seed, defeating the 2-seeded Philadelphia Phillies and the 1-seeded Milwaukee Brewers before overcoming the AL 1-seed Toronto Blue Jays in seven games.
The current odds underscore the unpredictability of the late-season race, with the AL East and the NL top spot remaining the focal points of the 2026 campaign.
