2023 MLB MVP Tracker: Notable Trends in Betting Odds
The 2023 MLB season has just begun, but baseball’s most elite players haven’t skipped a beat and are already looking in mid-season form. The season is still in its infancy but a number of athletes have already begun their resume to be the 2023 AL or NL MVP. Below I’ll go over the early 2023 MLB MVP favorites and betting trends that have shifted since the start of the season.
American League 2023 MLB MVP
The 3 current favorites for the American League 2023 MLB MVP award entered the season as the favorites. The list included Angels Pitcher and Designated Hitter Shohei Ohtani (+145), Angels Outfielder Mike Trout (+650), and Aaron Judge (+1000). After a hot start to the season, Ohtani has been trending up this season as he opened the season at +220. Aaron Judge hasn’t been as explosive as usual to start the season and fell from +650 opening odds.
There have been a few other upwards trending players as Orioles Catcher Adley Rutschman has gone from +3000 odds to +1600 and Rays Shortstop Wander Franco has improved from +4000 odds to +3000 after a strong start to the season. On the other side of things, there’s a few players who have struggled and are falling further down the MVP ladder. AL superstar Julio Rodriguez has gone from +1000 to +3500 since opening day and Third Baseman veteran Jose Ramirez has fallen from +1500 to +6500 after a slow start.
My pick for AL 2023 MLB MVP up to this point has to be the Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. He picked up right where he left off at the World Baseball Classic and has been dominating on both sides of the ball. It’s easy to see why he remains such a heavy favorite to win the award, as he’s truly in a league of his own.
National League 2023 MLB MVP
The National League race hasn’t been as straightforward as its counterpart so far this season, as the 3 favorites coming into the season have out of top 3 in betting odds. The current odds favorites for the NL MVP award is Braves’ Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (+450), Mets’ First Baseman Pete Alonso (+950), and Phillies Shortstop Trea Turner (+1200). Acuna remains the favorite after his prolific start from the plate this season and has improved his +1000 opening day odds quite a bit.
After the top three competitors the field drops off a bit, as the middle of the pack has 6 different players sharing +1500 odds. These players include Juan Soto, Matt Olson, Mookie Betts, Austin Riley, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Francisco Lindor. A number of the top candidates have improved their betting odds considerably from opening say, as Alonso has gone from +1400 to +950, Lindor from +2500 to +1500, and Olson from +2400 to +1500.
On the other side of things, there’s been a number of athletes that have struggled in the opening weeks and have been losing ground in the MVP race.Most notable of these players are Soto, who’s dropped from +550 to +1500, Betts, who’s dropped from +850 to +1500, Paul Goldschmidt, who’s dropped from +950 to +2500, Manny Machado, who’s fallen from +1000 to +2500. It’s tough to call the winner of the NL MVP award because of the amount of talent that it has, but my gut is telling me to go with Ronald Acuna Jr. who has been dominant on both sides of the ball this season and has the stats to back it up.
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