According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Shohei Ohtani is a -240 favorite to win the AL MVP award. He is followed by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (+1000), Houston Astros left-fielder Yordan Alvarez (+2500), Texas Rangers second-baseman Marcus Semien (+2500), and Tampa Bay Rays third-baseman Wander Franco (+3000).
The AL MVP award is selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) and is based on a number of factors, including the player’s individual stats, team success, and their impact on their team’s season. The award will be announced at the end of the regular season.
Here is a closer look at the top five players in the 2023 AL MVP odds:
Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani leads the AL in home runs and is the main reason the Los Angeles Angels are 4.5 games out of first place in the AL West. As a pitcher, Ohtani is third in the American League in strikeouts and probably should’ve won the award for the second time last season.
The Angels aren’t gonna be sellers folks
Put away those Ohtani mock trades pic.twitter.com/TdqVVZCSEo
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) June 14, 2023
Aaron Judge
Judge is one of the best power hitters in baseball and the reigning AL MVP. The Yankees slugger is second in the AL in home runs despite playing 22 games less than Ohtani. Judge is currently on the IL without any timetable to return.
Aaron Judge set Canada on fire pic.twitter.com/3T55DIKHUo https://t.co/YimHPGDjgJ
— Joey (@DJLeMVP) June 7, 2023
Yordan Alvarez
Astros left-fielder Alvaraz is second in the AL in RBI and fourth in home runs and a huge reason why Houston is 3.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West standings. Alvarez is 5th in the AL in slugging percentage and 21st in batting average. Alvarez was just placed on the IL and could miss up to 4-6 weeks.
Yordan Alvarez is the best hitter in baseball https://t.co/g3x851hBWT
— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) June 7, 2023
Marcus Semien
Semien made news with his season-opening, 25-game hitting streak, and Texas isn’t tops in the AL West without him in the lineup. Semien is second in the AL in hits and eighth in the AL in total bases. Semien is as durable as they come and has played in all 66 Rangers games this season.
25-game hitting streak for Marcus Semien! pic.twitter.com/ePqD6HoAhC
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 7, 2023
Wander Franco
The Tampa Bay Rays have been the story of the season, thanks in no small part to Franco. The Rays slugging shortstop is fourth in the AL in hits, leading the major leagues with 3.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Franco is second in the AL in stolen bases and tied for seventh in total bases.
Wander Franco with a HUGE homer! pic.twitter.com/xgcn8REeQk
— MLB (@MLB) June 11, 2023
Jose Ramirez 2023 AL MVP Outlook
Ramirez (+7000) is down on the list of AL MVP favorites, but over half a season remains. Still, there is a chance Ramirez can climb the oddsmakers leaderboard and maybe have a chance to win the award.
Ramirez is the Guardians’ best offensive and defensive player. He is also the most feared hitter in the Cleveland lineup, evidenced by his MLB-leading 11 intentional walks. That’s seven more than Judge and eight more in 15 fewer at-bats than Ohtani.
Since most intentional walks come late in ball games, Ramirez has to do most of his damage early in games. The Cleveland third-baseman is currently working on a six-game hitting streak and has crushed four bombs with eight RBI, heading into Wednesday’s contest with the San Diego Padres.
Jose Ramirez came into the night with 198 career homers and now has 201 ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/hmsCRYeOeC
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) June 9, 2023
Finally, Ramirez opened the season hitting safely in his first 10 games with a seven-game hitting streak in early May, so streaks are nothing new for Ramirez. He’s a better fielder than probably the rest of the field, but his highlight-reel numbers aren’t as impressive as the others, and Cleveland would need to win the AL Central, AND Ramirez will need gaudier numbers to beat out the others.
Ramirez at +7000 isn’t a good bet to make.
