With the MLB All-Star break behind us, it’s time to gear up for the second half of the season. Several individual awards are on the line down the stretch, including the National League MVP. Can Shohei Ohtani tighten his chokehold over the award, or will someone step in to steal the crown? Let’s take a look at the current odds before the stretch run begins.
Here are the updated NL MVP odds on the DraftKings Sportsbook:
Of course, Shohei Ohtani has incredibly short odds to win his fourth-straight MVP (third since joining the NL). Not only is the Dodgers superstar back to pitching full-time, but he’s also absolutely dominating — posting a 1.79 ERA through 14 starts. Add in his 22 home runs and .953 OPS, and it’s not hard to see why he’s running away with a historic fifth MVP award. The road towards Bonds continues.
If anyone is going to unseat him, Pete Crow-Armstrong is first in line. He’s the most valuable defender in baseball and leads MLB with a 6.0 fWAR. On top of that, PCA has recorded 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases, on pace for yet another 30-30 season. If he gets hot enough, PCA may well join the 40-40 club. But unless he starts pitching in the last 60-plus games, it’s a tough road to MVP.
After that, you have the real long shots. Kyle Schwarber leads MLB with 32 homers, but as a DH with an OPS lower than Ohtani’s, he has to do something historic down the stretch to win. Juan Soto is having an outstanding hitting season, but with the Mets circling the drain, his case is rough. James Wood leads the NL in OPS and will make a case if he can continue to go supernova at the plate. Otto Lopez, the current NL batting average leader, could make a case as an integral part of the upstart Marlins.
To say it’s Ohtani’s award to lose feels like an understatement. But if he somehow falters down the stretch or picks up another injury, things can get tricky. After all, it’s baseball.
