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With a handful of games remaining in the regular season and October baseball just a couple of weeks away, conjecture surrounding the American League and National League MVP has picked up.
While the MVP race usually sees fierce competition among several players in the respective leagues, there have been two clear front-runners this season. New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is odds-on favorite in the AL, while Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is leading the race for the NL award in his first season with the team.
Let's look at the odds for the MLB MVP awards in depth:
AL MVP odds
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Aaron Judge (Yankees): -3030
The Yankees captain started the season sluggishly, with last season's leg injury probably still lingering in his mind. However, around a month into the regular season, Aaron Judge went into overdrive, showcasing the form that got him to the historic 62 home run mark in 2022.
Judge, for the majority of the season, was on the pace of equalling his record-breaking tally of home runs this season, but a career-high home run drought that started in August meant the AL MVP favorite would find it hard to reach the 60 home run mark.
Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals): +1000
The Kansas City Royals shortstop was awarded a franchise record extension in the offseason after his 30-30 season last year. Bobby Witt Jr. not only justified the $288.7 million contract by getting his first All-Star nod this year but also joined the 30-30 club for a second consecutive season.
Although the rising star has been one of the driving forces behind his team's winning record this season, he is still quite some distance away from threatening Judge's position in the MVP race.
NL MVP odds
Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers): -1299
With the reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. out of the picture due to a season-ending injury early in the season, Dodgers newcomer Shohei Ohtani has been the favorite for the award ever since he donned the Dodgers blue.
The two-time MVP is odds on favorite for a third MVP title despite being restricted to play as a designated hitter due to his Tommy John Surgery in the offseason. However, Shohei Ohtani added another dimension to his game after being relieved from his pitching role this season.
The Japanese phenom is just one stolen base and two home runs shy of becoming the first player to reach the 50-50 club in MLB history, further solidifying his bid for the NL MVP.
Francisco Lindor (New York Mets): +700
It's hard to imagine what the New York Mets season would have looked like with Francisco Lindor's invaluable at-bats this season. The four-time All-Star has been an ever-present figure for the Mets this season and has missed a few games only after a back issue in the last month of regular season.
Lindor has been driving the Mets' pursuit of a Wild Card spot and his absence due to a back issue could prove costly in the business end of the season. However, despite his glittering efforts in the Mets' revival after an underwhelming start, Lindor is lagging behind Ohtani by quite some distance.
