The American League MVP award seems to be just about wrapped up, even though we’re still over a month before the All-Star break. The latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook show reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge way out in front of the race and almost a lock at this point for the award. Everyone besides Judge is an extreme long shot, but is anyone else even worth considering?
Through 57 games, Judge is on pace for 60 homers. He’s hitting .398 with a .523 wOBA, and powering the Yankees’ offense that has them out front of the AL East. He was +310 at the start of the season as the favorite, but now he has moved all the way to -6000.
While Judge seems to be well on his way to his second straight MVP award, let’s take a look at the latest odds and a few alternatives that could challenge for the award as the season continues.
2025 AL MVP Award Odds
Bobby Witt Jr. (+1500)
I had Judge at +310 in my preseason picks for AL MVP, and I also highlighted Witt in that post. He still has the second-shortest odds to win the award but has moved from +450 to +1500.
Witt hasn’t been struggling; he just hasn’t been nearly as productive as Judge. He’s hitting .284 with six homers, a .348 wOBA and 20 stolen bases while playing excellent defense at shortstop. The rest of the Royals’ offense hasn’t done him many favors, but the team is still in the Wild Card hunt.
If Judge is injured or hits a huge slump, Witt would be one of the front-runners for the award. He brings a great blend of speed and power, and his contact metrics indicate his batting average and slugging should be on the rise if he keeps hitting the ball so hard.
He’s definitely still a long shot behind Judge, but there is a path where he could work his way back into the conversation.
Cal Raleigh (+5000)
Raleigh has been one of the most impressive hitters in the early portion of the season, and he’s one of the only sluggers keeping pace with Judge in the home run race. He hit his 23rd home run of the season in his 58th game on Sunday afternoon. He’s on pace for 63 homers this year and supporting that slugging with a 43.9% hard-hit rate and 23.9% barrel rate.
His batting average is only .264, which is way behind Judge’s, but it would still be a personal best if he keeps it up the rest of the year. He has a .425 wOBA along with 44 RBI and a sneaky six stolen bases, which matches his career best from 153 games last season.
Raleigh’s Mariners are right in the middle of the AL West race. If he carries them to a division title and out-slugs Judge by a significant margin, he could close in on Judge’s lead in the MVP race.
If Judge slumps or misses significant playing time, Raleigh would be right in the mix based on how many homers he has crushed and how critical he is to his team both offensively and defensively.
Tarik Skubal (+13000)
Skubal is more likely to be a candidate for the AL Cy Young award, but he could move into the mix if Judge fades. Last year’s Cy Young winner is 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA, 1.90 FIP and 11.8 K/9, all of which would be improvements on his numbers from last year.
He is already up to 99 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings and 12 starts. He’s on pace for 255 strikeouts if he gets up to 31 starts like he made last season.
Skubal is leading the way in the Tigers’ rotation, and the Tigers have the best record in the majors. If they hold the best record and Skubal keeps dealing, he could emerge as an alternative to Judge if the Yankees or Judge fade.
At these extremely long odds, he’s a bargain dart throw that could pay off if he pushes into the MVP race.
