After a dizzying few days, the dust from the 2023 trade deadline has finally started to settle. The landscape of the league has shifted dramatically just over the last 48 hours or so: Justin Verlander is an Astro; Max Scherzer (and Jordan Montgomery) is a Ranger; the Dodgers, Rays and Orioles all found themselves a starting pitcher, while the Reds didn’t. The Angels (and Cubs) are all the way in, the Mets are all the way out, and the Twins and Yankees … apparently did not have cell reception on Tuesday afternoon. That’s a whole lot of change, and unsurprisingly, the futures market for season-ending awards has responded accordingly.
So, just like we did out of the All-Star break, let’s celebrate the start of baseball’s stretch run with a look at how the past few weeks and the trade deadline have impacted the NL MVP race over at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Updated NL MVP odds as of 8/4
Ronald Acuna Jr. -1000 Freddie Freeman +700 Mookie Betts +3000
Matt Olson +6000 Corbin Carroll +8000 Bryce Harper +10000
Elly De La Cruz +10000 Luis Arraez +10000 Fernando Tatis Jr. +10000
Will Smith +10000 Juan Soto +10000 Cody Bellinger +10000
It remains Ronald Acuna Jr.’s league, and everyone else is just living in it. The Braves superstar is now up to a whopping 51 stolen bases, nearly double the next closest player, and MLB’s first-ever 40/80 season is now officially in play. (Acuna’s slowed down a bit in the power department, with just two dingers over his last 15 games, but don’t worry: He’s still got a .978 OPS over that span.)
Don’t let Acuna’s ridiculousness overshadow what Freeman is doing, though. The Dodgers first baseman is batting a cool .449 (!!) over his last 15 games, with eight homers and 13 multi-hit games over that span. In a normal world, he’d be banging down the door for a second MVP award. Olson continues his dinger barrage — he’s neck and neck with Shohei Ohtani for the Major League lead and has hit a preposterous 20 over his last 42 games — while early-season contenders like Carroll and Arraez have come back to Earth a bit.
NL MVP race: Takeaways and best bets
Mookie Betts, +3000
You can also get the field vs. Ronald Acuna Jr. at +550, and Freeman at +700, but really, why not take the far better odds? This isn’t more than a hedge that — knock on wood — something befalls Acuna down the stretch, and in that event, which would you rather have: Freeman at +700 or Betts at +3000? For as good as Freeman’s been at the plate lately, his value will forever be handicapped by the position he plays — he and Betts are essentially even in most WAR calculations, and that’s with the first baseman on an all-time heater right now. Betts is still the best, er, bet to outperform his teammate down the stretch, and brings the most dynamic all-around value with his bat, glove and speed. But really, please stay healthy, Ronald.