MLB MVP 2019: Odds and Predictions for American, National League Honors

The Washington Nationals' World Series win continues to feel further away as we move deeper into MLB free agency and focus on the crucial offseason moves teams will be making to contend in 2020. 

But before we bid adieu completely to the 2019 MLB season, we must recognize the players who rose to the top of the ranks and made a case to win baseball's individual awards.

And 2019 gave us one of our more interesting awards races in recent memory, with plenty of players in contention and little consensus on who will take home the top honors.  

Without further ado, let's break down which players have the top odds to be named American League and National League MVP on November 14 and make predictions on how each category will actually shake out. 

2019 MLB American League MVP Odds and Prediction

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Odds

Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels): -140 (bet $140 to win $100)

Alex Bregman (Houston Astros): +100 

Prediction

Angels center fielder Mike Trout is looking for his third AL MVP award after having earned the nod for his 2014 and 2016 showings (and having finished second in the 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018 voting).

Unfortunately for Trout, however, he may be destined to collect only another runner-up designation in 2019, despite being the favorite in Vegas. 

Trout's last game in 2019 was on Sept. 7; the Angels shut him down after he underwent right foot surgery. Up until that point, he had more than made a case for this year's MVP award.

By the time his season ended, Trout was leading MLB in offensive wins above replacement (8.3) and on-base percentage (.438); he ended up atop the AL in slugging percentage (.645), on-base percentage (.438) and was second with 45 home runs.

Even setting aside the fact that Alex Bregman was leading his team to the postseason, however, the Astros third baseman just may have made enough of a statement in the regular season to edge out Trout. 

Bregman finished in the top five in the AL in multiple categories, including WAR, on-base percentage and home runs:

Some will argue that an absence from the team only further makes an MVP case; that the Angels were so clearly better with Trout, after going 5-14 without him. But Bregman was able to prove his value to his team in a different way, playing 64 games at shortstop as Carlos Correa battled injury. 

Ultimately, their respective performances suggest that if Trout had played in the 19 games that closed out the Angels' season, he would have created enough distance between himself and Bregman to become the clear-cut front-runner in the MVP race. But Bregman just may have done enough in the final weeks of the season to earn his first-ever win. 

Prediction: Alex Bregman

2019 MLB National League MVP Odds and Prediction

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Odds

Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers): -200

Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers): +175 

Anthony Rendon (Washington Nationals): +800

Prediction

It could be a year of distinguished firsts for Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger, who on Sunday took home his first career Gold Glove award for his defense as a right fielder. Now he's looking to add NL MVP to his list of accolades. 

Bellinger finished his season with career-highs in multiple offensive categories, from home runs (47) to RBIs (115) to batting average (.305) to on-base percentage. His 47 home runs were third in the NL, and he led the National League in total bases, with 351. 

It will likely be that defensive ability, solidified with the Gold Glove win, that pushes Bellinger over the edge in MVP voting. But it's hard to rule Christian Yelich out entirely.

While Rendon had a career season, going .319/.412/.598 while leading the Nationals with 34 home runs and 126 RBIs, he would need the postseason to factor in to the voting to beat out either of his fellow finalists. 

Yelich, like Trout, found his season ended early thanks to, in the former's case, a fractured kneecap. He missed the opportunity to put an exclamation point on a great season—batting .329 with 44 home runs, 97 RBIs and 30 stolen bases—as he looks to win his second consecutive MVP. 

While Yelich's performance transcended the NL—finishing with the best slugging percentage (.671) and OPS (1.100) in MLB—ultimately, Bellinger was able to make the more solid case in his 156 games: his WAR of 9.0 overall led MLB. 

Prediction: Cody Bellinger

Odds via Sports Betting Dime and current as of Oct. 3