Yankees' World Series odds improve despite standing pat at the trade deadline

Heading into the 2015 season, not very many people predicted that the Yankees would make it into the postseason. Some predicted that the Yankees wouldn't even have a winning record, yet with roughly 55 games left to play, the Yankees are in first place in the AL East with a four-and-a-half game lead over the Blue Jays. The latest World Series odds have been released, and just like the Yankees have gained in the division standings, their World Series odds have also improved. Here's the complete list:

Royals 9/2
Dodgers 7/1
Cardinals 8/1
Yankees 10/1
Blue Jays 10/1
Nationals 10/1
Astros 12/1
Giants 12/1
Angels 14/1
Mets 14/1
Cubs 16/1
Pirates 16/1
Twins 33/1
Orioles 40/1
Tigers 40/1
Padres 50/1
Rays 50/1
Red Sox 66/1
White Sox 66/1
Indians 66/1
Rangers 66/1
Diamondbacks 100/1
Mariners 100/1
Braves 200/1
Athletics 200/1
Reds 300/1
Rockies 500/1
Marlins 500/1
Brewers 500/1
Phillies 1000/1

Back in early July when the odds were released, the AL East was still pretty bunched up. The Yankees, Orioles and Blue Jays' odds were all 20/1, while the Rays sat at 25/1 and the Red Sox were at 28/1. After an incredible July, the Yankees have finally separated from the pack a little bit. Since World Series odds are based on whether people would bet on those teams, as opposed to actual team performance, it's interesting to see what affect the trade deadline had on the standings. Other than making a trade for Dustin Ackley (who has since been placed on the disabled list with a herniated disk), the Yankees did not make any upgrades to the team before the deadline passed. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays landed Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, among others, and only saw their odds improve from 20/1 to 10/1.

There is still a lot of baseball left, but if the Yankees keep up this level of play then postseason baseball is definitely an attainable goal. When all the naysayers predicted the Yankees wouldn't do well this season, it had a lot to do with the question marks surrounding the rotation and the offense. The rotation has certainly had its share of injuries, with Masahiro Tanaka out several weeks earlier in the season, and Michael Pineda set to miss at least a month, but it still has managed to get the job done. The Yankees could have grabbed a starting pitcher before the trade deadline, but opted to call up Luis Severino instead, and he was brilliant in his debut the other night. They could probably further strengthen the rotation if they removed CC Sabathia, but they don't seem inclined to do so. As for the offense, Yankee bats have been on a tear recently. However, if Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez stopped hitting, the team could be in trouble down the line. If that happens, the Yankees might have no choice but to replace Stephen Drew in the lineup. If the rotation and offense can straighten out the kinks, the Yankees' World Series odds should continue to improve.

Can you see this team making it all the way to the World Series? Which teams do you see as their biggest competition?