Yordan Alvarez Tops MVP Odds as Judge Fades

You can now listen to Fox News articles. The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player race is heating up. We looked at the betting odds for both leagues at FanDuel Sportsbook on August 24. This report includes affiliate links to legal sportsbooks, meaning FOX Sports could get paid if you sign up or place a wager.

In the American League, Yordan Alvarez sits atop the list at minus-20,000 odds. That means a ten-dollar bet returns just over eleven dollars. Junior Caminero is next at plus-1,500, while Bobby Witt Jr. trails far behind at plus-6,000. Aaron Judge has struggled with injuries this season, so the trophy will likely go to someone else. Alvarez leads the league in every hitting category right now. He holds a .320 batting average, thirty-six home runs, ninety RBIs, a .436 on-base percentage, a .613 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.050. Just a few weeks ago he was priced at minus-1,500, but his dominance has made him the clear choice for this award.

The National League picture is shifting fast. Pete Crow-Armstrong now sits as the slight favorite at minus-185 odds. Shohei Ohtani follows at plus-150. In July, the Dodgers star was priced at minus-1,500 to win his third straight NL MVP and fourth overall. By August 5, he was even with Crow-Armstrong at minus-110. Now the dynamic has flipped completely. Crow-Armstrong leads the league in WAR with an 8.1 total, plus a .559 slugging percentage and a .938 OPS. He also has thirty-three home runs and thirty-two stolen bases to his name.

Ohtani won back-to-back NL MVPs last season for the first time since Albert Pujols did it in 2008 and 2009. He added an AL MVP in 2023, becoming the first player ever to win consecutive awards in both leagues. If Ohtani wins again this year, he will tie Barry Bonds record of four straight MVPs between 2001 and 2004. All four of his previous MVP wins were unanimous, with every single vote going his way. He currently holds the second-most MVP awards in history, sitting just behind Bonds seven-time total. After their recent clash at Wrigley Field, these two have turned the race into a historic battle for the crown.