AL MVP odds: Ohtani passes Judge as favorite to win for 2nd straight season
Aaron Judge's reign over the AL MVP race is no longer.
The Yankees slugger had been the overwhelming favorite for much of the season thanks to his prolific power numbers through the first half. But the sensational play of reigning MVP winner Shohei Ohtani (-114) has carried the two-way sensation to the top spot on the oddsboard at Barstool Sportsbook, bumping Judge into the second spot in a fierce race for the AL's top award.
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | -114 |
| Aaron Judge | +160 |
| Yordan Alvarez | +1100 |
| Mike Trout | +1300 |
| Rafael Devers | +2300 |
| Jose Ramirez | +4000 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | +5500 |
| Kyle Tucker | +10000 |
| Byron Buxton | +12000 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | +12000 |
| Jose Altuve | +15000 |
| Bo Bichette | +15000 |
| Xander Bogaerts | +15000 |
| Luis Robert | +15000 |
| Wander Franco | +15000 |
| Trevor Story | +15000 |
| Ty France | +15000 |
| Anthony Rizzo | +15000 |
| Tim Anderson | +20000 |
| Alex Bregman | +20000 |
| Carlos Correa | +20000 |
| J.D. Martinez | +20000 |
| George Springer | +20000 |
| Jose Abreu | +20000 |
| Randy Arozarena | +20000 |
| Salvador Perez | +20000 |
| Michael Brantley | +25000 |
| DJ LeMahieu | +25000 |
| Brandon Lowe | +25000 |
| Corey Seager | +25000 |
| Marcus Semien | +25000 |
| Trey Mancini | +25000 |
| Taylor Ward | +25000 |
| Javier Baez | +30000 |
| Matt Chapman | +30000 |
| Josh Donaldson | +30000 |
| Yasmani Grandal | +30000 |
| Yoan Moncada | +30000 |
| Mitch Haniger | +30000 |
| Eloy Jimenez | +40000 |
| Joey Gallo | +50000 |
| Max Kepler | +50000 |
| Austin Meadows | +50000 |
| Anthony Rendon | +50000 |
| Jeimer Candelario | +50000 |
It was always going to take a monumental effort for anyone to surpass Judge, who entered Friday with an MLB-best 31 home runs and 69 runs for the Bronx Bombers. And that's what we've seen from Ohtani. The Angels phenom has 19 home runs with an .843 OPS, but his work on the mound (2.38 ERA) has elevated his case as the league's MVP.
Ohtani's last few starts have been nothing short of sensational. On Wednesday, he struck out 12 batters in six innings with just one run allowed - the first earned run against him in his last five starts. It also marked his fourth consecutive start with double-digit strikeouts, recording a ridiculous 0.34 ERA and 0.44 FIP with a 46:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio during that stretch.
Of course, Judge could power his way back into pole position if he produces his ridiculous home-run rate from earlier in the year. He's left the yard just twice in his last 12 games but had 29 dingers in his previous 74 contests. He's still on pace for 57 home runs if he can stay healthy the rest of the way.
We'll likely see more power from Ohtani, whose home-run rate (5.1%) pales in comparison to what we saw in his MVP campaign (7.2%) in 2021. If both players can maintain their level of play over the second half of the season, this could be a race for the ages.
C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at [email protected].