Milwaukee Brewers fans endured a frustrating offseason, waiting through a mostly quiet free agency period before losing ace pitcher Corbin Burnes via trade at the onset of Spring Training.

According to the World Series odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, what are the Milwaukee Brewers' odds to win the World Series this season?

Do the reigning NL Central champs have enough juice left in the tank to run it back in 2024? Can they push further into the playoffs than they've done recently? Or will they falter without Burnes on the mound?

Brewers World Series Odds

• Odds to Win the World Series: +8500 (22nd)

Brewers Betting Odds

• Win Total: 77.5
• Odds to Make the Playoffs: +280
• Odds to Win the NL Central: +550 (4th)
• Odds to Reach the NLCS: +1600 (11th)
• Odds to Win the National League: +4000 (11th)

Brewers Projections

nERD from numberFire. Projections via FanGraphs.

• nERD: -1.20 (26th)
• Wins: 80 (t-17th)
• Runs Per Game: 4.59 (20th)
• Runs Allowed Per Game: 4.63 (17th)
• Run Differential: -5 (17th)

Brewers Analysis

2023 Recap

The Brewers won the NL Central for the second time in three seasons in 2023, finishing their successful campaign with a 92-70 record (fifth-best in baseball). They were promptly booted from the first round of the payoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 2-0 sweep.

Much of their success was derived from elite pitching, as they tied with the San Diego Padres for the fewest runs allowed while finishing the year with an MLB-best 3.71 ERA. Starting pitcher Freddy Peralta put together an elite season alongside Burnes, the team got career-best production out of journeyman veteran Wade Miley, and closer Devin Williams was nigh-untouchable once again.

But for all the success Milwaukee found on the mound, their offense held the team back. Per FanGraphs' weighted runs created plus (wRC+) metric, the Brewers fielded the seventh-worst offense in the majors last year -- easily the worst among teams that made the playoffs. And when their own pitchers struggled against Arizona's offense in the Wild Card round, their offense couldn't make up the difference, leading to their early exit.

Anxiety for 2024

You probably gleaned from the Brewers' odds and projections at the top of the article that things aren't looking too rosy for the upcoming campaign. Burnes is now a member of the Baltimore Orioles, and frankly, the team didn't get much in return for the star.

Their once-elite pitching crew will be banking on Peralta and Miley repeating their career-best numbers from last year. Brandon Woodruff could miss the whole season with a shoulder injury, while it's hard to know what to expect from Aaron Ashby after he suffered another season-ending injury before stepping on the mound in 2023.

The team will need a shocking turnaround from their offense in 2024 to push back against the low expectations heading into the season. They did not put a single batter into the top 60 in OPS last season, with catcher William Contreras' .825 OPS mark (65th) leading the team and Christian Yelich's .818 OPS falling not far behind. Slugging shortstop Willy Adames' .717 was the next-best on the team, and that did not cut it.

Can They Turn it Around?

If the Brewers do find a way to win the World Series this year, they need two things to happen: their good pitchers have to stay good and healthy while their offense makes a complete turnaround. The second part is the bigger question mark, but there are still some reasons for optimism.

Clearly, the biggest source of that optimism comes from the expected arrival of top prospect Jackson Chourio, whose +700 odds to win the NL Rookie of the Year award rank second-best. The power-hitting 19-year-old could revitalize Milwaukee's stale offense if he lives up to expectations and should make the team's Opening Day lineup. It's early days yet for Chourio, but he posted a .984 OPS in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason and is already batting .500 through a handful of plate appearances in Spring Training.

The team also added slugging first baseman Rhys Hoskins in free agency to create some more run support. Breakouts from younger outfielders like Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer and Sal Frelick could go a long way toward turning things around for the Brewers, as well, while infielder prospect (46th overall) Tyler Black could join the lineup sooner rather than later. And the team would certainly appreciate it if Joey Ortiz -- arguably their biggest return from Baltimore in the Burnes deal -- could post better than the .448 OPS he mustered with the Orioles as a rookie.

And, of course, the true optimists among us could always hope for Yelich to return to MVP form. We've seen a lot of disappointing baseball since his All-Star seasons in 2018 and 2019, but the former star did enjoy a solid bounce back in 2023. If he can somehow recapture the magic from earlier in his career, the Brewers could be back in business.

The hope, then, would be that a young Brewers team develops into an offensive threat by the end of the season and then finally returns Woodruff as an ace for the playoffs. If that happens, they could be a team to watch out for.

Every Team's Odds to Win the World Series

• Los Angeles Dodgers (+320)
• Atlanta Braves (+450)
• Houston Astros (+700)
• New York Yankees (+800)
• Texas Rangers (+1400)
• Philadelphia Phillies (+1500)
• Baltimore Orioles (+1500)
• Minnesota Twins (+2000)
• Toronto Blue Jays (+2000)
• Seattle Mariners (+2000)
• St. Louis Cardinals (+3200)
• Tampa Bay Rays (+3300)
• Chicago Cubs (+3700)
• Arizona Diamondbacks (+4000)
• New York Mets (+5000)
• Boston Red Sox (+5000)
• Cincinnati Reds (+5500)
• San Diego Padres (+6000)
• Detroit Tigers (+6000)
• San Francisco Giants (+6500)
• Cleveland Guardians (+7500)
• Milwaukee Brewers (+8500)
• Miami Marlins (+9000)
• Kansas City Royals (+15000)
• Los Angeles Angels (+18000)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (+20000)
• Washington Nationals +25000)
• Chicago White Sox (+25000)
• Oakland Athletics (+50000)
• Colorado Rockies (+50000)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.