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Baseball’s 2025 season delivered a milestone never seen before: both MVP awards went to the previous year’s winners.
In the American League, Aaron Judge narrowly edged out the competition to claim the crown for the second straight year, while Shohei Ohtani dominated the National League vote, earning a unanimous selection after another stellar campaign for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Can either superstar keep hold of the hardware for a third consecutive run? Here’s a breakdown of the current MLB MVP odds and projections for the 2026 race.
American League MVP 2026 Odds
Below are the AL MVP 2026 odds from three of the best MLB Baseball betting sites.
| AL MVP |  |  |  |
| Aaron Judge | +300 | +280 | +280 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | +550 | +500 | +500 |
| Cal Raleigh | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Nick Kurtz | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Julio Rodriguez | +1000 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Vladamir Guerrero Jr. | +1200 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Jose Ramirez | +1200 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Pete Alonso | +1200 | NA | NA |
| Yordan Alvarez | +1400 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Gunnar Henderson | +1600 | +1700 | +1700 |
| Junior Caminero | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
For the second straight offseason, Aaron Judge opens as the favorite to capture the American League MVP award. Oddsmakers list him at +300, the same price he carried into 2025, which translates to an implied 25% chance of securing another MVP trophy in 2026.
Last year’s race, however, ended up far more competitive than anticipated. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh — who entered the season at +10000 — put together the strongest campaign of his career, helping guide Seattle to its first division title since 2001. Raleigh crushed 60 home runs to lead MLB, topped the AL with 125 RBIs, and produced a .247/.359/.589 slash line with a 9.1 fWAR.
Judge still delivered the best offensive season in baseball. He posted an MLB-leading 10.1 fWAR and a 204 wRC+, finishing with a .331/.457/.688 line, 53 home runs, and 114 RBIs. When the BBWAA’s 30-voter panel (two from each league city) finalized its ballots, Judge secured 17 first-place and 13 second-place votes, earning the third MVP award of his career. That achievement places him alongside Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees with three MVPs. Raleigh finished as the runner-up with 13 first-place and 17 second-place votes.
Rather than looking for narrative-driven candidates, the most reliable approach has been focusing on players with a legitimate path to leading the league in WAR. With that framework in mind, Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (+550) and Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson (+1600) stand out as two early-value options heading into the 2026 race.
National League MVP 2026 Odds
Below are the NL MVP 2026 odds.
| NL MVP | | | |
| Shohei Otani | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Juan Soto | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Ronald Acuna Jr. | +1200 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Francisco Lindor | +1400 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Corbin Carroll | +1400 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Elly De La Cruz | +1600 | +1700 | +1700 |
| Manny Machado | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
Shohei Ohtani enters 2026 as the clear betting favorite for the National League MVP, opening at -110. The early price stands out when compared to last year’s +175 opening line, especially after Ohtani reestablished himself as a dominant two-way presence during his second season with the Dodgers.
Offensively, he turned in one of the most complete campaigns of his career, hitting .282/.392/.622 with a personal-best 55 home runs and an MLB-leading 146 runs. His 1.014 OPS topped the majors as well. On the mound, Ohtani delivered a 2.87 ERA across 14 starts, striking out 62 hitters while issuing just nine walks over 47 innings. The combination of elite production in both roles led to yet another unanimous MVP selection — his third straight and fourth in the last five seasons, all achieved with every first-place vote.
Only Barry Bonds has more MVP awards than Ohtani, finishing with seven total, including a streak of three consecutive wins from 2001 through 2004. Ohtani now has a chance to stand alone by becoming the first player in league history to capture four MVPs in a row. Given his trajectory and the possibility of an even stronger pitching season ahead, there’s little reason to position against him.
For those seeking an alternative candidate, New York Mets star Juan Soto profiles as one of the few players capable of mounting a legitimate challenge in his second season with the club.
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