Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, second from right, accepts the team's Most Valuable Player Award before a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)AP Photo/Ashley Landis

MLB MVP 2023: Final Odds and Predictions for AL and NL Awards

Erik BeastonNov 15, 2023

Award week in Major League Baseball will culminate Thursday with the crowning of the American and National League MVPs.

There was stellar play throughout the season, but which two players will be recognized as the best of the best Thursday?

Ahead of the announcement, these are the odds and predictions for each league's most prestigious individual honor.

American League Odds, Prediction

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Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels is seen in the dugout preparing for his game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on September 03, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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.

Shohei Ohtani is the most recognizable star in the sport of baseball today and backed up his superstardom in 2023 with another unforgettable season.

Prior to surgery for a torn UCL in September, Ohtani blasted 44 home runs, scored 102 times, drove in another 95, and compiled a slash line of .304/.412/.654.

On top of that, the greatest two-way player of all time added an ERA of 3.14, a K/BB rate of 3.0, and a WAR of 4.0 from the mound.

Prior to his injury, he was still the single most captivating player in the game despite playing for another underwhelming Los Angeles Angels team.

He is going to command a historic contract, potentially from a new team, and will have earned every dollar, a rarity in sports.

Seager had an all time great postseason, Julio is Julio, but neither was as consistently great in the AL this season than Ohtani and he will be rewarded with his second league MVP award.

Prediction: Ohtani becomes the first two-time unanimous MVP winner

National League Odds, Prediction

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Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 12: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on before Game Four of the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on October 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)

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.

Ronald Acuña Jr. put up video game-like numbers in 2023, the likes of which few imagined possible, even with the rule changes made last offseason to encourage offensive play.

The Atlanta Braves right-fielder smacked 41 home runs, tallied 106 RBIs, scored 149 times, and delivered his highest career batting average at .337.

Add to that 73 stolen bags and you have a player that did a little bit of everything for the MLB-best 104-win Braves.

Teammate Matt Olson made a run at snagging the award from Acuña with a 54-homer season that also saw him score 127 times and drive in 139, but even those numbers pale in comparison to what Acuña was able to accomplish in his best season to date.

Mookie Betts had one of the best seasons, and Freddie Freeman delivered another productive year in a Hall of Fame career but again, Acuña's was so far and above everyone else's that his award win should be a landslide.