Steve Starr
- BetUS‘ updated American League MVP odds favor Japanese star Shohei Ohtani (+175)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+650) has taken the leap after shedding 42 pounds over the offseason
- Jose Ramirez (+1400) is a strong value after finishing top-three in AL MVP voting in three of the past four years
Los Angeles Angels teammates Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani were attracting almost 80 percent of the wagers on AL MVP at this time last week, but with a calf injury expected to sideline Trout for the next six to eight weeks, Ohtani is now the overwhelming favorite to win the award.
With a quarter of the MLB season now in the books, we’ll look at the latest American League Most Valuable Player odds, but first, be sure to check out our MLB 2021 betting guide for further wagering tips and advice.
2021 American League MVP Odds
 |
|
| Shohei Ohtani | +175 |
| Mike Trout | +250 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | +650 |
| J.D. Martinez | +1000 |
| Byron Buxton | +1000 |
| Jose Ramirez | +1400 |
| Aaron Judge | +2000 |
| Xander Bogaerts | +2200 |
| Rafael Devers | +2200 |
| Alex Bregman | +2500 |
| Matt Olson | +2800 |
| Anthony Rendon | +3300 |
| Jared Walsh | +3300 |
| Jose Abreu | +4000 |
| Nelson Cruz | +4000 |
| Bo Bichette | +5000 |
Ohtani, Oh Baby!
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (+175) leads the majors with 14 home runs and has a 2.10 ERA in five starts for the Angels this season where he has struck out 40 batters and given up just 11 hits while regularly throwing 100 MPH heat. The 26-year-old Japanese specimen has already started three games on the mound while leading MLB in dingers, a feat which had not been accomplished since Babe Ruth did it exactly one century ago.
Mike Trout (+250) is still in the mix for his fourth-career AL MVP, but now that he’s set to miss the next two months with a calf injury, he seems like a bad bet. Especially considering how uncompetitive the Halos are. Despite having two of the game’s best players, the Angels boast the fourth-worst winning percentage in the American League.
Shohei Ohtani’s numbers are BANANAS.
Is he your early choice for MVP? pic.twitter.com/x2m262PGeZ
— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2021
Other AL MVP contenders
After losing 42 pounds in the offseason, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+650) has been reborn as a baseball crushing machine. The 22-year-old nearly doubled his career walk rate, cut down on his strikeouts, and leads all MLB hitters with 74 times on base. He’s also on pace for 48 home runs, which would nearly triple his career high, after improving his launch angle.
Unlike the Angels, Toronto also has a decent chance to make the playoffs and be competing for a World Series this October. A postseason berth would help Vladdy’s MVP narrative, but he’ll likely need Ohtani to get injured (PLEASE NO!) or struggle in the second half to have a shot.
The evolution of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the excitement being generated by Alek Manoah have reinforced an exciting feeling: this is a Blue Jays team we can grow with. (@SNJeffBlair)https://t.co/vCo1kJUaV4
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 20, 2021
J.D. Martinez (+1000), Byron Buxton (+1000) and Jose Ramirez (+1400) are the next names on the board. Given that he was a runner-up for the 2020 AL MVP and was top-three in both 2017 and 2018, Ramirez seems like the best value on the board.
Including the second half of the 2019 season and all of 2020, the Indians slugger ranks third in WAR (6.1) – and WAR is critical in MVP voting with 20 of the past 22 MVP winners finishing top three in their respective leagues in that metric. Ramirez ranks eighth in AL WAR this season, but given that he has under-performed relative to expectations, expect him to heat up down the stretch.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
