MLB MVP 2023: Final Odds and Predictions for AL and NL Awards
Award week in Major League Baseball will culminate Thursday with the crowning of the American and National League MVPs.
There was stellar play throughout the season, but which two players will be recognized as the best of the best Thursday?
Ahead of the announcement, these are the odds and predictions for each league's most prestigious individual honor.
- Shohei Ohtani (-20,000)
- Corey Seager (+2,000)
- Julio Rodriguez (+5,000)
- Marcus Semien (+15,000)
- Bobby Witt Jr. (+20,000)
AL MVP Odds*
*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (h/t Covers.com) as of September 25, when they went off the board.
Shohei Ohtani is the most recognizable star in the sport of baseball today and backed up his superstardom in 2023 with another unforgettable season.
Prior to surgery for a torn UCL in September, Ohtani blasted 44 home runs, scored 102 times, drove in another 95, and compiled a slash line of .304/.412/.654.
On top of that, the greatest two-way player of all time added an ERA of 3.14, a K/BB rate of 3.0, and a WAR of 4.0 from the mound.
Prior to his injury, he was still the single most captivating player in the game despite playing for another underwhelming Los Angeles Angels team.
He is going to command a historic contract, potentially from a new team, and will have earned every dollar, a rarity in sports.
Seager had an all time great postseason, Julio is Julio, but neither was as consistently great in the AL this season than Ohtani and he will be rewarded with his second league MVP award.
Prediction: Ohtani becomes the first two-time unanimous MVP winner
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (-600)
- Mookie Betts (+300)
- Matt Olson (+9,000)
- Freddie Freeman (+11,000)
NL MVP Odds*
*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (h/t Covers.com) as of September 25, when they went off the board.
Ronald Acuña Jr. put up video game-like numbers in 2023, the likes of which few imagined possible, even with the rule changes made last offseason to encourage offensive play.
The Atlanta Braves right-fielder smacked 41 home runs, tallied 106 RBIs, scored 149 times, and delivered his highest career batting average at .337.
Add to that 73 stolen bags and you have a player that did a little bit of everything for the MLB-best 104-win Braves.
Teammate Matt Olson made a run at snagging the award from Acuña with a 54-homer season that also saw him score 127 times and drive in 139, but even those numbers pale in comparison to what Acuña was able to accomplish in his best season to date.
Mookie Betts had one of the best seasons, and Freddie Freeman delivered another productive year in a Hall of Fame career but again, Acuña's was so far and above everyone else's that his award win should be a landslide.
