For much of the 2023 season, the MLB MVP races appeared to be fairly straightforward. In the American League, eventual winner Shohei Ohtani was the favorite most of the way. In the National League, the same was the case for eventual winner Ronald Acuna Jr.
As with the Cy Young Award, there will not be a repeat MVP winner this season. Ohtani swapped the AL for the NL as he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason, while Acuna suffered a season-ending ACL tear for the second time in four seasons. In 2021, he tore his right ACL in the final game before the All-Star break; this season, he tore his left ACL on May 30 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
With Ohtani terrorizing the Senior Circuit and Acuna sidelined until 2025, who could potentially take home the MVP trophies this season? With the season now in mid-June and teams around or over 70 games in, the two 2024 MLB MVP races are, like 2023, looking straightforward, at least in terms of which players are in the running.
In the AL and NL Cy Young races, the field of candidates is somewhat deep still in both leagues. If you look at the latest Cy Young odds at BetOnline, there are 18 AL pitchers with odds of +7500 or better, and in the NL, there are 18 pitchers with odds of +8000 or better.
But in the MVP races, the field of favorites is a bit narrower. In the AL, there are only eight MVP hopefuls with odds of +10000 or better. In the NL, there are only a dozen MVP hopefuls with odds of +8000 or better.
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2024 MLB MVP Odds
These 2024 AL & NL MVP odds are as of Monday, June 17. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then grab yourself a nice sign-up bonus to bet on Major League Baseball.
Former MVP winners are listed in bold.
AL MVP Odds
- Aaron Judge, New York Yankees -120
- Juan Soto, New York Yankees +400
- Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles +500
- Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals +550
- Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians +2500
- Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros +4000
- Corey Seager, Texas Rangers +6600
- Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles +10000
NL MVP Odds
- Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers +170
- Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies +300
- Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres +700
- Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers +900
- Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves +950
- William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers +1800
- Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers +2000
- Elly de la Cruz, Cincinnati Reds +2500
- Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks +3300
- Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers +5000
- Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies +6600
- Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves +8000
Who Are the Top MLB MVP Favorites This Season?
American League MVP Favorites
Aaron Judge (-120)
2024 Season Stats for Judge (73 games): .299 BA, 26 HR, 64 RBI, 56 R, .425 OBP, .686 SLG, 1.110 OPS, 5.1 WAR
After setting a new American League home run record in 2022, Judge was limited to just 106 games last season due to various injury issues. Still, he hit 37 home runs, which was only seven behind Ohtani’s AL-leading total of 44.
This season, a healthy Judge got off to a horrid start, hitting only .178 with four homers and 13 RBI in his first 27 games.
But horrid has since been replaced by torrid. Over his last 46 games, Judge has hit 22 homers and driven in 51 runs. Over the course of a full season, that pace would have him at 77 homers and 180 RBI. Also, thanks to hitting .374 (61 hits in 163 at-bats) in this span, his average has gone up over 120 points.
Could he make a run at equaling or surpassing the 62 homers he hit in 2022? It will take a prodigious effort for him to do so, but if he even comes close, it will be tough for anyone to beat him out for AL MVP honors.
Juan Soto (+400)
2024 Season Stats for Soto (71 games): .315 BA, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 58 R, .433 OBP, .592 SLG, 1.025 OPS, 4.1 WAR
Will Soto stay with the Yankees beyond 2024? There’s every possibility that he chooses to sign a hefty deal to remain in the Bronx long term. But if this is only for one year, let’s all marvel at what he and Judge are doing as a duo while we can.
After hitting .313 in his NL MVP runner-up season in 2021, Soto hit .259 across 315 games with the Nationals and Padres in 2022 and 2023.
His move to the Big Apple and the American League has seen him return to being the hitter he was in 2020 and 2021. In his first four games with the Yankees, he had nine hits in 17 at-bats (.529), and while that was obviously unsustainable, he has put up strong splits in each month.
- March: .529 BA (9 for 17)
- April: .290 (29 for 100), 7 HR, 21 RBI
- May: .296 (32 for 108), 7 HR, 24 RBI
- June: .343 (12 for 35), 3 HR, 6 RBI
Gunnar Henderson (+500)
2024 Season Stats for Henderson (70 games): .274 BA, 22 HR, 49 RBI, 56 R, .370 OBP, .588 SLG, .957 OPS, 5.0 WAR
Last season, Henderson was named AL Rookie of the Year after hitting .255 with 29 doubles, nine triples, and 25 homers, recording 82 RBI, and scoring 100 runs in 150 games.
As long as he stays healthy this season, Henderson will eclipse those numbers by sizable margins. Also, he is a perfect nine for nine on the basepaths. Could he make a run at a 50 HR/20 SB season?
Bobby Witt Jr. (+550)
2024 Season Stats for Witt (73 games): .327 BA, 19 2B, 7 3B, 11 HR, 51 RBI, 59 R, 21-29 SB, .377 OBP, .551 SLG, .928 OPS, 4.3 WAR
That the Royals, who are 41-32 entering today, are winning only boosts Witt’s visibility and potential to be a top AL MVP contender all season.
He’s certainly doing his part. That includes his current place at the top of the leagues’—both AL and MLB, that is—batting average charts, just ahead of hit machine Luis Arraez.
Witt is set to be one of the faces of baseball over the next decade-plus, but he is accelerating that, as well as the Royals’ rise up the standings, with his exploits this season.
National League MVP Favorites
Shohei Ohtani (+170)
2024 Season Stats for Ohtani (70 games): .309 BA, 19 HR, 46 RBI, 53 R, 15-16 SB, .382 OBP, .594 SLG, .976 OPS, 3.5 WAR
With former favorite Mookie Betts now sidelined indefinitely due to a fractured hand suffered on Sunday when he was hit by a pitch, Ohtani is now the man to beat in the NL MVP race.
The two-time AL MVP is not pitching this season due to elbow surgery, but Ohtani the hitter is good enough on his own to contend for NL MVP honors without any boost from being on the bump.
It is worth noting that he is hitting only .241 in June after hitting .352 in April and .312 in May. But he can break out at any time, and he may be about to after hitting two homers against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, his second multi-homer performance of the season.
Bryce Harper (+300)
2024 Season Stats for Harper (66 games): .280 BA, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 41 R, .390 OBP, .519 SLG, .908 OPS, 2.7 WAR
Harper is the best player on the best team in the National League, so it is no surprise that he is one of the NL MVP favorites at this juncture.
That said, he might have to go on a major tear at some point to beat out Ohtani, even if the Phillies continue to have the best record in the NL.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (+700)
2024 Season Stats for Tatis (75 games): .272 BA, 13 HR, 35 RBI, 48 R, .348 OBP, .459 SLG, .808 OPS, 1.8 WAR
While Ohtani and Harper are playing on two of the best teams in MLB, Tatis’s Padres are a game under .500. Also, Tatis’s overall numbers this season don’t compare to Ohtani or Harper.
However, his numbers are going up at the right time to potentially benefit from Betts’ injury. In June, Tatis is hitting .350 (21 for 60) with five doubles, four homers, and six RBI. He did, however, have only one hit in a dozen at-bats in San Diego’s series sweep at the hands of the New York Mets this past weekend.
Freddie Freeman (+900)
2024 Season Stats for Freeman (73 games): .300 BA, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 45 R, .401 OBP, .502 SLG, .903 OPS, 2.7 WAR
Having two other leading NL MVP candidates batting in front of him may affect Freeman’s own MVP candidacy.
But the 2020 NL MVP is having another fine season, and he will continue to have a prominent place in this race as long as he continues to do what we have grown accustomed to seeing him do, which is hit.
Right now, he is doing that rather well. He hit only .267 in May, but thus far in June, he is hitting .360 (18 for 50) with four homers and ten RBI.
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Recent MLB MVP Winners
AL MVP Winners
- 2023: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
- 2022: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- 2021: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
- 2020: Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox
- 2019: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
- 2018: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
- 2017: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
- 2016: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
- 2015: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
- 2014: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
- 2013: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
NL MVP Winners
- 2023: Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves
- 2022: Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
- 2021: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
- 2020: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
- 2019: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2018: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
- 2017: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
- 2016: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
- 2015: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
- 2014: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2013: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
More MLB Betting Information
How to Bet on Major League Baseball in 2024
There are many ways to bet on Major League Baseball. As with the NFL, NBA, and NHL, the main ways are moneyline and spread betting, as well as over/under betting.
Futures bets (like Cy Young odds) and prop bets (like strikeout props and batting props) are also one of the most popular ways to bet on the action on the diamond.
Where to Bet on MLB
Many top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of MLB odds throughout the season.
In addition to being able to make daily MLB picks on games from Opening Day until the final game of the Fall Classic, you can also bet on MLB MVP odds, Cy Young Award odds, and MLB Rookie of the Year odds, as well as World Series odds.
There are many sportsbooks out there that are good for betting on baseball, but here are some of the books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:
- BetDSI (Review)
- BetOnline (Review)
- BetUS (Review)
- Bovada (Review)
- Everygame (Review)
- MyBookie (Review)
If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.
Interested in Learning More About Betting on Baseball?
Are you new to baseball betting or want to get more acquainted with some of the ins and outs of placing MLB bets, check out our MLB betting guide.
- MLB Betting Guide: How to Bet on Baseball in 2024
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