Fanatics Markets: MLB Trading Markets Available Ahead Of MLB Opening Day
The 2026 MLB season has arrived, so it’s time to make some trades with Fanatics Markets. This is a trading platform where you can buy and sell positions on MLB picks. These don’t have traditional fixed odds, as in sports betting, making for a unique user experience.
It’s fun to get in on the daily grind that is the 162-game MLB season. There will be plenty of opportunities to exit your positions early to secure value on a trade. My favorite way to attack MLB season is by target futures bets, choosing a team to win the World Series or a player to win MVP, focusing on a longshot. If their odds move, you can sell your position to secure a profit.
The season starts on Wednesday, March 25th, when the New York Yankees take on the San Francisco Giants. Then we have an 11-game slate on Thursday and an 8-game slate on Friday before we finally get 15 games on Saturday. At Fanatics Markets, there are plenty of trades available, including spreads, moneylines, and totals. On this page, we’ll provide a full breakdown.
What Is Fanatics Markets?
Fanatics Markets is a prediction market platform where users trade contracts tied to real-world sports outcomes. Instead of placing a traditional bet against a sportsbook, users buy and sell shares in an outcome, similar to trading a financial asset.
Each contract represents a Yes/No outcome, priced between $0 and $1, where the price reflects the market’s implied probability of that event happening.
- A price of $0.25 = 25% implied probability
- A price of $0.70 = 70% implied probability
If the event occurs, the contract settles at $1. If it does not, it settles at $0.
Fanatics Markets vs. Traditional Sportsbooks
Here are some key differences between Fanatics Markets and traditional sportsbooks:
- You’re not betting against the house
- You’re trading against other users (market participants)
- Prices move dynamically based on supply, demand, and new information
- You can enter and exit positions at any time before settlement
Example: Trading on the Yankees to win the World Series
Let’s dive into an example to give you a better understanding of how this works:
- Before the season, the Yankees are trading at $0.09 to win the World Series, which implies a 9% chance
- You buy 100 shares at $0.09 for a total cost of $9
- At the All-Star break, the Yankees now have the best record in baseball, so the market updates their probability.
- Price rises to $0.17 (17%)
At this point, you have two options:
- Option 1: Sell early
- Sell your 100 shares at $0.17
- You receive $17
- Profit = $8
- Option 2: Hold to settlement
- If the Yankees win the World Series, the shares settle at $1, so your payout = $100
- If they don’t win, shares settle at $0, so you lose your $9
MLB Game Markets
The main focus of MLB offerings on Fanatics Markets is standard game-based contracts. These allow users to trade positions tied directly to the outcome or key stats of a specific matchup.
Available Game Markets
- Game winner
- Run line (point spread)
- Alternate run lines
- Total runs (over/under)
- Alternate totals
Similar to a traditional sportsbook, contract prices will shift as new information comes in and as the first pitch approaches. Users can also trade positions during the game, with prices updating in real time based on what’s happening on the field. This is similar to live betting, but with the added flexibility to enter and exit positions at any point.
MLB Futures Markets
It’s a good idea to lock in futures when trading on MLB at Fanatics Markets. Here are some of my favorites:
- World Series Winner
- MVP
- Cy Young
Below, we’ll take a look at three potential trades to make on the World Series winner, MVP, and Cy Young.
Mets to win the World Series
The Mets check all the boxes when looking for a World Series contender with value.
They built a more balanced lineup with better defense by bringing in Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Luis Robert Jr. to replace Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo.
Their pitching is much-improved with Freddy Peralta and a full season of Nolan McLean, not to mention a potential bounce-back from Kodai Senga, who looks terrific in spring.
While the bullpen lost Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams is one of the easiest bounce-back calls in baseball, while Luke Weaver is a dependable high-leverage reliever.
On top of that, owner Steve Cohen is willing to do what it takes to make a splash to improve the roster. What if they trade for impending free agent Tarik Skubal at the deadline?
Ronald Acuña Jr. to win NL MVP
Ronald Acuña Jr. looked fully healthy at the plate last year in his return from a torn ACL, putting up a 161 wRC+ in 412 plate appearances. This year, expect the stolen base production to come back, as he ran wild in the Venezuelan League and stole a base in the Winter Classic.
On top of that, Braves’ new first base coach, Antoan Richardson, is renowned as a stolen base guru, helping Juan Soto go from seven to 38 steals last year.
To that end, Acuña has the ability to get back to 40+ steals, with a chance at going 40-40. I know it’s hard to bet against Shohei Ohtani to win MVP, but Acuña has the skillset to get it done.
This is a longshot trade worth exploring at Fanatics Markets.
Cole Ragans to win AL Cy Young
Cole Ragans dealt with injuries last season, but his advanced metrics jump off the page, including a 38.1% strikeout rate and a 2.52 SIERA.
When healthy, Ragans has the upside to perform like one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s currently good to go now, and it’s not like we haven’t seen volume from him before. Think back to when he went 186.1 innings in 2024.
If Ragans can stay on the field, he’ll be in contention for this award. Elite ratios with a high strikeout rate is exactly what you want to look for when targeting a longshot Cy Young candidate.
Image credits: AP Images/Ross D. Franklin
