MLB MVP’s On Tap For 2023

Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna of the NL and the Angel’s Shoehi Ohtani of the AL are the clear cut favorites to win their respective leagues’ MVP award; Ohtani has about a 97-99% chance according to oddsmakers to take home his 2nd MVP, and is one of the biggest favorites in recent memory. The two-way star has been projected to win the award since late June, with Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge fading out due to injury. Spectacular play in June and July, particularly at the plate where he hit 24 home runs over a total of just 42 games, widened Ohtani’s lead.

Ohtani was forced to end his season early after it was announced that he would need Tommy John surgery. Despite missing the last month, Ohtani finished as the AL’s home run leader with 44, and had his most productive season at the plate, posting an MLB-high 1.066 OPS. His prowess as a pitcher this season, paired with his offensive numbers, make him a no-brainer to win. Ohtani will, in all likelihood, be ready to DH by 2024, but his future as a starting pitcher is unclear. Cory Seager is the next most likely MVP winner in the AL, sitting at +8000 odds with a 1-2% chance of taking home the hardware. The star shortstop missed over 40 games and would have undoubtedly been a bigger threat to Ohtani had he played more games.

Mookie Betts had another amazing year with the Dodgers, putting together the 2nd best season of his career. He is by far the smallest underdog in either league, sitting at +1000 odds (a 9% chance) to win. Posting a .987 OPS, with 39 home runs, 126 runs, Betts also had an MLB-high 8.4 WAR for position players. But Acuna put together a nice stretch in September with both 11 homer runs and stolen bases and a 14 game hit streak. His extremely high number of stolen bases, 73 – the most since 2007, paired with 41 homers, has given Acuna the edge.

Acuna is the first player in history to record a 40/50, 40/60, and 40/70 season, batting .337 and leading the league in runs (149) and hits (217). His 149 runs scored are the most since 2000 and his Braves finished with the best record in baseball. His teammate, Matt Olson, who led the majors in homers (54) and RBI (139), is also a candidate in the race, sitting at +20000 odds. Although he will not win, Olson had an incredible year and helped the Braves cement themselves as the best team in the majors and World Series favorites.