MLB MVP Odds: Gunnar Great Value In AL MVP Odds

The latest MLB MVP odds highlight some of the games top talent. We've got Aaron Judge leading in the American League MVP race and Shohei Ohtani running away with things in the National League.

I break down both those MLB MVP odds races below as well as some value picks for both leagues:

American League MVP Odds

Odds as of July 26

Aaron Judge tumbled after a shaky start in early April, but boy has he rebounded. Judge's first half was as good as the 2022 season where he ran away with AL MVP and bashed 62 homers. The Yankees slugger currently leads the league in HR, RBI, OBP, and OPS. 

At the season's halfway point, all AL MVP long shots hinge on a Judge injury. But, we've seen that happen plenty throughout Judge's career, with him playing fewer than 120 games in four of his eight previous seasons.

Best AL MVP Value Pick: Gunnar Henderson (+650)

If Judge even misses a few weeks, I think Henderson has what it takes to become our new AL MVP. The Orioles slugger has done it all so far this year, on pace for 45 homers, 25 stolen bases, a .935 OPS, and the most runs scored in baseball.. His 6.6 bWAR is second in all of baseball and sits just 0.1 behind Judge.

If he can pass Judge in WAR (and the Orioles beat out the Yankees for the AL East crown), Henderson will have a real case for AL MVP.

National League MVP Odds

Odds as of July 26

Mookie Betts' unfortunate hand injury required surgery and pushed him out of chalk spot for the NL MVP. Luckily for the Dodgers, his teammate Shohei Ohtani has emerged as the new favorite in the Senior Circuit.

Ohtani has crushed baseballs this season, leading the NL in many key hitting statistics (runs, home runs, slugging, and OPS). Ohtani's putting up a very similar offensive season to the one that won him AL MVP last year — though he's doing it without the pitching.

NL MVP Value Pick: Ketel Marte (+4000)

It's easy for fans to forget about Marte in Arizona, but MVP voters shouldn't count him out. There are just two National League players in the top-10 in league bWAR right now: Ohtani (5.7) and Marte (5.2).

Is on pace for the best season of his career, on pace for over 30 homers, a .295 average, and double-digit stolen bases, too. It’s a very similar season to Marte’s 2019 that earned him fourth place in NL MVP voting, but with even better defense.

The 30-year-old has racked up 1.3 dWAR already this season, which is already close to a career high for him. That defense could launch him to the top of the National League WAR board (especially if Ohtani suffers an injury at any point) which makes the DBacks stud a great value bet in NL MVP.

MLB MVP Award History

Recently, outfielders and first baseman have had a grip on the MVP races and that's pretty true for most of MLB history. Here are the all-time MLB MVP winners by position:

MLB Teams With Most MVPs

While MLB's most iconic franchises lead history with the most MVPs, there are three teams that have never had an MVP:

How To Read MLB MVP Odds

The above chart features the MLB MVP odds for each top player in the American League and National League. At your sportsbook of choice, betting lines for MVP could look something like this:

Mookie Betts +650

Ronald Acuna Jr. +1000

Freddie Freeman +1200

This means that Betts is the favorite since he has the lowest odds and the highest chance of winning the prop, according to oddsmakers. If you were to bet $100 on Betts and he won, you would get a payout of $750 – your original $100 is returned along with your winnings of $650.

On the other hand, if you strongly believe that Freeman will shine in Los Angeles, a winning $100 bet on him would yield $1,300 – your $100 comes back along with your prize of $1,200.

Our odds calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.