American League MVP: Can Anyone Catch Shohei Ohtani?

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Richard Janvrin

Last Updated: Jul 3^rd, 2023

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American League MVP: Can Anyone Catch Shohei Ohtani?

Aaron Judge is entirely out of the AL MVP odds hunt, and even if he was healthy, what Shohei Ohtani is doing is superhuman.

Below, we’ll check the MLB betting odds for the Ohtani, err, MVP award in the American League.

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Favorites for the 2023 AL Most Valuable Player

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

6/19/23 Hitting Stats: .300/.384/.632, 24 HRs, 58 RBIs, 69 Ks, 83 Hits

7/3/23 Hitting Stats: .306/.390/.670, 31 HRs, 68 RBIs, 84 Ks, 99 Hits

6/19/23 Pitching Stats: 6-2, 3.29 ERA, 82 IP, 105 Ks, 35 Walks.

7/3/23 Pitching Stats: 7-3, 3.02 ERA, 95.1 IP, 127 Ks, 39 Walks.

7/3/23 Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook (-1400)

Ohtani isn’t human and is perhaps the best baseball player ever. Since we last checked in, he’s had over 30 home runs, and his ERA improved to just over 3.00.

There’s simply no way he will lose this award. He’s also on track to potentially break Aaron Judge’s AL single-season home run record.

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Corey Seager, Texas Rangers

6/19/23 Hitting Stats: .363/.420/.656, 10 HRs, 40 RBIs, 30 Ks, 58 Hits

7/3/23 Hitting Stats: .351/.418/.606, 10 HRs, 49 RBIs, 41 Ks, 73 Hits

6/19/23 Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook (+3200)

7/3/2023 Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook (+3500)

Two weeks ago, the sports betting odds had Seager at No. 3 with +3200, and now he’s second, and his odds are worse. This is the Ohtani effect.

Seager has been stellar hitting the baseball, but his average has dropped, and the power numbers aren’t there. Going up against a guy who leads the league in several statistics that also pitches lights out isn’t fair, but let’s not overlook Seager’s stellar batting average.

Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays

7/3/23 Hitting Stats: .283/.343/.459, 9 HRs, 42 RBIs, 45 Ks, 90 Hits

7/3/2023 Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook (+6000)

There’s a new third-place odds-on favorite to win the AL MVP award: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco.

Despite not having a realistic shot of winning, it’s a tip of the cap to a consistent shortstop who manages to get on base but doesn’t have the average or home run numbers like Seager. They’re close in home runs, but Seager’s batting average of over .350 seals the deal for him at the No. 2 spot.

It’s absurd that the third-place player in an MVP vote at the beginning of July is +6000, but we have Ohtani and a lack of Aaron Judge to thank for that.