World Series 2022: Updated MVP Race Before Astros vs. Phillies Game 3
The postponement of World Series Game 3 from Monday to Tuesday gave the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies a chance to reset.
The two pitching staffs are fresh after two days off, and the batters should be more than well rested to combat the top arms on each side for the rest of the series.
There is no clear-cut Most Valuable Player favorite going into Game 3, but a few players have put themselves above others in the conversation.
Kyle Tucker hit a pair of home runs for the Astros in Game 1, Alex Bregman hit a long ball in Game 2 and Jose Altuve leads the series in hits with four.
J.T. Realmuto is Philadelphia's top hitting MVP candidate because of his game-winning home run in the 10th inning of Game 1.
Philadelphia's top pitchers have an opportunity to enter the MVP mix with the way its rotation is now set up, starting with Ranger Suarez in Game 3.
Updated MVP Odds
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Kyle Tucker (+550; bet $100 to win $550)
Framber Valdez (+650)
Alex Bregman (+700)
Bryce Harper (+750)
J.T. Realmuto (+800)
Yordan Alvarez (+1000)
Jose Altuve (+1000)
Jeremy Pena (+1500)
Kyle Schwarber (+1600)
Nick Castellanos (+2000)
Rhys Hoskins (+2500)
Alec Bohm (+2500)
Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman
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Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are the first two Houston hitters on the MVP odds chart because of their home runs in Games 1 and 2.
Tucker allowed the Astros to get out to a five-run lead in Game 1, as he hit two shots off Aaron Nola in his first two at-bats of the series. Tucker is 3-for-8 in the series and he is the only player with multiple home runs. That is a good enough stat line to be considered the MVP favorite through two games.
Bregman entered his name into the conversation with a home run that finished off Houston's Game 2 victory. The Astros third baseman only has two hits in the World Series, but one of them was memorable enough to put him in a position to win MVP.
There is a long way to go in the series for anyone to be considered the clear-cut MVP favorite, but both Tucker and Bregman are in positions to add to their World Series resumes.
J.T. Realmuto
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J.T. Realmuto is the MVP front-runner out of the Philadelphia lineup through two games.
The right-handed hitting catcher produced the most memorable hit from the Philadelphia perspective with the game-winning solo shot in Game 1 on Friday.
Realmuto leads the Phillies in hits with three and RBI with three. He is the only Philadelphia player to hit a home run through two World Series contests.
Philadelphia's MVP hierarchy could change with one swing of the bat inside Citizens Bank Park. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins all could deliver home runs in the coming days that vault them to the forefront of the MVP discussion.
Realmuto could keep his spot as well with a few big hits off Lance McCullers Jr., Cristian Javier and Houston's bullpen.
Just like Tucker and Bregman, Realmuto has not won the MVP yet, but he placed himself in a fantastic spot to win it if he continues to hit well and his team wins the World Series.
Ranger Suarez
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Ranger Suarez is the dark-horse MVP candidate to watch.
The Phillies left-handed pitcher is listed at +6000 to win MVP. He could have those odds drop with a strong start in Game 3 and could make a case to win the award if he pitches in meaningful situations after Tuesday.
Suarez was already used in relief by Phillies manager Rob Thomson in Game 1. He gave up one hit in 0.2 innings of work. That was his second relief appearance of the postseason after closing out the NLCS at home.
Suarez could be used in a variety of roles between his projected starts in Games 3 and 7, which makes him a more intriguing MVP candidate than McCullers, who will start those two games for Houston if the series goes the distance.
A strong Game 3 start that leads to a Phillies win would put Suarez into the MVP discussion, and he can further that conversation with a relief appearance in Game 5 on Thursday.
The Phillies are holding Zack Wheeler until Game 6, so they will have a bullpen-heavy game led by Noah Syndergaard in Game 5. Aaron Nola will start Game 4.
A lot of things have to go right for Suarez to win MVP, but the situation is in play if he pitches well on Tuesday because of his ability to come out of the bullpen.
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