American League MVP race: Is Raleigh closing the gap on Judge?
Aaron Judge remains the betting favorite to win the American League MVP with the regular season more than halfway finished, but Cal Raleigh is closing the gap.
Judge opened the season as a +300 favorite on ESPN BET and theScore Bet. That position strengthened as Judge maintained a .400 average in the opening few months. He climbed to -7000 to win MVP on June 19, an implied win probability of 98.6%.
However, Raleigh has surged up the oddsboard with consistently impressive hitting performances to slash Judge's odds. The Yankees captain is now a -1000 favorite to earn his third MVP, while Raleigh has the second-best odds at +450, a huge rise after sitting at +15000 in mid-April.
The Mariners catcher is on pace to smash his career highs in home runs, hits, runs, RBIs, and batting average. He leads the league with 33 home runs, two more than Judge. However, Judge is still a -110 favorite to hit the most home runs while Raleigh is +210.
Barry Bonds has the record for most home runs before the All-Star break when he crushed 39 homers in 2001. Raleigh has 10 games to hit six home runs to tie Bonds' 24-year record. Unless he catches fire before the Midsummer Classic, Bonds' record will remain standing.
Judge broke the American League home run record in 2022 when he smashed 62 balls into the stands. Raleigh is on pace to break the mark, but his power can't falter in the season's latter half. Bonds holds the single-season home run record with 73 dingers in 2001, which seems untouchable.
Even if Raleigh doesn't break any records, he's in the midst of a remarkable season and is firmly in the MVP conversation. While he's had productive seasons the last couple of years, no one expected him to emerge as an All-Star and one of baseball's best hitters. The Mariners are in the playoff mix with 45 wins and second place in the AL West.
Judge is a household name in the sport, and his heroics are constantly garnering national attention as a Yankee. He leads Raleigh in some key statistical categories, such as batting average, hits, slugging percentage, and OPS, but not by much. The AL MVP race will intensify if Raleigh's production at the plate continues.
In the National League, it's almost a foregone conclusion that Shohei Ohtani captures his fifth MVP. He's a -1200 favorite, and the next closest challenger is Pete Crow-Armstrong at +1800.
Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.
US: Must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER; Hope is here. Call (800)-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support (MA); Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
ON: Please play responsibly. 19+. ON only. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call ConnexOntario 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600. Text us at 247247 or chat with us at www.connexontario.ca.