MLB Awards Odds & Award Prop Bets

With Shohei Ohtani out of the league, the AL MVP race is headlined by two Bronx bombers. While Judge already has an MVP in the bag, Soto surprisingly does not.

Soto's almost guaranteed to lead baseball in walks in 2024, and if he can add 40 homers hitting in Yankee Stadium and 110+ RBI from New York's solid lineup, he'll position himself as a clear candidate for AL MVP. The only problem is Judge has all the same things going for him, as well.

Best AL MVP Value Pick: Adley Rutschman (+2500)

We haven't seen a catcher win MVP since Buster Posey in 2012, but Rutschman certainly has that Posey potential.

He's the spiritual leader of the ascendant Orioles, he plays every day, and he's great at hitting and catching. The Baltimore backstop's offensive numbers were amazing (for a catcher) last year — .277 average, 20 homers, .809 OPS. But, he's going to have to be an amazing hitter in general if Rutschman really wants to win MVP. If he can get to 30 homers and a .900 OPS, Rutsch can follow in Posey's footsteps.

MLB MVP Award History

If Acuna repeats his 2023 season, he's all but guaranteed to rack up another MVP. The Braves' star outfielder hit 41 homers, led the league with 73 steals, and posted the NL's highest OPS. He was basically the best at everything. So, naturally, he's a heavy favorite to win the award again in 2024.

NL MVP Value Pick: Shohei Ohtani (+950)

It's hilarious that we get to call Ohtani a 'value' pick but here we are. I know Ohtani isn't going to pitch in 2024, and that'll certainly hurt the two-way kings' MVP chances. But, I think we're sleeping on just how good of a hitter he is. Last year he hit 44 homers in 135. games and posted a HIGHER OPS than NL MVP Acuna.

Just imagine what kind of numbers Ohtani can put up if he DHs for 160 games and only focuses on hitting. Don't be shocked if Ohtani goes out and smashes 60 homers and wins the MVP without even throwing the ball.

MLB MVP Award History

Gerrit Cole finally got it done last year. The Yankees' ace posted five-straight top-10 Cy Young finishes before finally earning the award last year. And frankly, he's the safest pick to win the AL Cy in 2024 among a pretty weak class.

If Cole can trot out another sub-3 ERA, 200+ innings, 250+ strikeouts, I don't see many other AL pitchers who can match that.

AL Cy Young Value Pick: Cristian Javier (+9000)

I really thought Cristian Javier was going to compete for the Cy last year, as he posted a 3.16 FIP and amazing strikeout rates in 2022. Instead, he took a big step back — 4.58 FIP, 8.8 K/9.

But at +9000, this is pretty good value on a bounce-back candidate. Before the playoffs last year, we saw the 2022 Javier flash once again. In his last six starts of 2023, Javier posted a 3.42 FIP, 40 strikeouts in 30 innings, and allowed just four homers. If we get that Javier in 2024, he could get back in the AL Cy race.

MLB Cy Young Award History

Spencer Strider is going to strike out a million people, and that alone should keep him in Cy Young consideration all season. But, even a 20-win season, league-leading FIP, and 286 Ks couldn't earn him a top-three finish last year.

If Strider is going to take the leap in 2024, the Braves righty will likely have to surpass 200 innings and get the ERA closer to three.

NL Cy Young Value Pick: Logan Webb (+1000)

Logan Webb might be the most underrated player in baseball right now. The Giants righty has hauled 560 innings over the last three seasons, posting a 3.07 ERA and 3.00 FIP in that time. Webb basically walks nobody, but if there's one thing that would help his Cy Young candidacy it would be a tick up in strikeouts. If his 8.1 K/9 from last year drifts closer to his 9.6 career-high from 2021, I like Webb to snatch the Cy in 2024.

MLB Cy Young Award History

Evan Carter came up late last season and immediately looked like one of the best players in baseball. In 23 regular season games, he hit five homers, posted a 1.058 OPS, and racked up 1.6 WAR. For context, that's an 11.2 WAR pace had he played a full 162 games — better than Ohtani, Trout, Judge, and all the other top players. Most impressively, he kept it up in the playoffs, too, with a .300 batting average and 10 extra-base hits in 17 postseason contests.

If Carter is even anywhere close to as good as he flashed last season, he'll be competing for MVPs not just the AL Rookie of the Year.

AL RotY Value Pick: Nolan Schanuel (+1800)

Schanuel is just a bizarre and tantalizing player, I think he could sneakily compete for this award. The key here is the on-base percentage. This is a guy who posted a .615 OBP in college last year, .505 in the minors, and .402 in the big-leagues. He's a few homers away from being a new generation's Joey Votto. If he can do that for 160 games this year, he'll be so unique that I think voters will have to give him some Rookie of the Year love.

MLB Rookie of the Year Award History

The Dodgers don't just hand out $300 million to anybody. There's a reason they gave Yoshinobu Yamamoto a huge contract this year and he'll almost certainly justify that contract in year one. He probably only needs to be a SP2/3 to win the NL Rookie of the Year, but he's got the potential to be much, much more.

For context, here's the opening line of Baseball America's Yamamoto scouting report: "In the long history of successful Japanese pitchers, none have been as decorated as Yamamoto."

NL RotY Value Pick: DL Hall (+4000)

I honestly find it really hard to bet against Yamamoto. He seems like he'll be an absolute stud for the Dodgers this year and if he stays healthy should surely walk away with this award. So, if you're gonna make a value pick, let's look way down the board.

DL Hall could end up being a long-term reliever, but if he manages to win a spot in Milwaukee's rotation he's got as high of upside as any young pitcher in the league. He's a high-strikeout lefty, who's sliced his way through the minor leagues, and seemed to find something in MLB at the end of 2023. In 19.1 innings pitched for the Orioles last year, Hall posted a 3.26 ERA with 23 strikeouts to just five walks. If he keeps that up in a starting role, this bet will look like a genius pick in a few months.

MLB Rookie of the Year Award History

When healthy, Aaron Judge is the most feared power hitter in baseball. A season after posting an AL-record 62 homers, the Bronx Bomber banged 37 dingers in 106 games in 2023. He finished well off MLB's lead in the statistic, but his 55-homer pace would've put him right up there with the leaders had he played 160 games. Now, Judge has Juan Soto protecting him in the Yankees lineup, too.

Best Value Pick: Pete Alonso, Mets

Pete Alonso has played four full seasons at the MLB level. He's posted no fewer than 37 HR in any of those campaigns, broken 40 three times, and averaged 46.5 during the stretch. He's led baseball in HR once already, and now the Polar Bear enters a contract year looking to secure the bag. I'm expecting plenty of power from Alonso.

Past MLB HR Leaders History

*Shortened Season

If you've locked in a World Series pick and you're getting a little tired of staring at daily MLB betting trends, wagering on MLB award odds and some player prop bets is the perfect solution.