MLB MVP 2023: Odds, Predictions for Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr. in AL, NL Races
For the better part of the 2023 MLB season, it appeared as though the MVP races in the American and National Leagues were decided.
Shohei Ohtani of the Angels and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves were far and away the best players in their respective leagues, delivering monster seasons for their respective teams and earning headlines every time they stepped up to the plate.
A late injury to Ohtani and competition from Mookie Betts and Acuña's own teammate, Matt Olson, created competition for the award that few could have imagined earlier in the season.
Ahead of the revelation of year-end awards, did Ohtani and Acuña manage to hold on or will they see their historic seasons end without hardware, courtesy of a late-surging opponent?
AL MVP Odds, Predictions
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AL MVP Odds*
- Shohei Ohtani (-20,000)
- Corey Seager (+2,000)
- Julio Rodriguez (+5,000)
- Marcus Semien (+15,000)
- Bobby Witt Jr. (+20,000)
*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (h/t Covers.com) as of September 25, when they went off the board.
It is a testament to the season Shohei Ohtani had that he managed to remain the overwhelming favorite for American League MVP despite an arm injury that ended his season prematurely.
The two-way player ended 2023 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a .304 average at the plate. On the mound, he went 10-5, with and ERA of 3.15, 167 strikeouts, and an opponent average of .184.
He was the most buzzworthy player in baseball and may very well have challenged Aaron Judge's 62-home run performance from a year ago had he remained healthy through the end of the season.
A player with skill the likes of which we may never see again, the AL was Ohtani's world and everyone else was simply living in it.
He will win that league's MVP award, the second of his career, before focusing on free agency and signing with a new team in what may very well end up a historic deal.
Prediction: Ohtani wins the AL MVP in a landslide
NL MVP Odds, Predictions
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NL MVP Odds*
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (-600)
- Mookie Betts (+300)
- Matt Olson (+9,000)
- Freddie Freeman (+11,000)
*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (h/t Covers.com) as of September 25, when they went off the board.
Initially, it looked like Acuña Jr. would run away with the NL MVP, thanks to one of the most prolific seasons in MLB history.
He blasted 41 home runs, deliver the highest batting average (.337), on-base percentage (416), and OPS (1.012) of his career, and stole 73 bags. He tallied 217 hits, scored 149 times, and drove in 106.
He was an offensive machine, a numbers guy at the highest level and the idea of anyone catching him, at least at one point in the season, seemed ludicrous.
Betts sure tried.
In a season in which he did everything and played just about everywhere for the NL West champion Dodgers, Betts delivered 39 homers, 107 RBIs, scored 126 times, and enjoyed his highest OPS+ since the 2018 season.
Acuña's teammate, Matt Olson, led the majors with 54 home runs while driving in 139 RBIs, while Betts' partner in crime, Freeman, played some of the best ball of his Hall of Fame-worthy career.
Despite the challenge, Acuña had a monster year, with astronomical numbers and an offensive output that no one could touch.
Regardless of how disappointingly the Braves' season ended, he is the undisputed MVP of the National League and a player who will likely win this award many more times before he calls it a career.
Prediction: Acuña Jr. takes home the hardware in a stacked NL race
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