Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
Riding the momentum of a thrilling World Baseball Classic, the sport now surges forward with the beginning of the 2023 MLB season. Opening Day is set for March 30, so it’s a pretty quick turnaround for all of the stars who participated in the WBC. And there were a lot of them. Trea Turner, Mookie Betts, Kyle Schwarber and Nolan Arenado were among the headliners on Team USA’s roster and of course Mike Trout struck out against Japan ace and Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani to end the championship game.
Who will be the top stars of the upcoming Major League Baseball season? Let’s take a look at the MVP odds in both leagues and the best bets to be made.
DraftKings Sportsbook is currently giving new customers $150 in bonus bets if they bet $5 and their team wins when they sign up. That’s all there is to it! Grab this amazing sign-up offer by clicking this link.
American League MVP odds and predictions
Shohei Ohtani +220
Aaron Judge +700
Mike Trout +800
Julio Rodriguez +900
Yordan Alvarez +1200
Vladmiri Guerrero Jr. +1300
Jose Ramirez +1500
Kyle Tucker +2500
Rafael Devers +3000
Adley Rutschman +3500
Byron Buxton +4000
Wander Franco +4000
AL MVP best bet: Mike Trout (+800)
Trout is arguably the second-best player on his own team, but he is also arguably the second-best player in all of baseball. When you can get him as the third favorite in his own league, it’s an opportunity that should be taken. Trout hit 40 home runs in 2022 despite playing in only 119 games. If he can just stay healthy, Triple Crown contention is possible. Meanwhile, I’m not about to touch Ohtani at short +220 odds given his injury history and the physical rigors of both pitching and hitting.
AL MVP longshot: Byron Buxton (+4000)
Buxton is another guy whose talent is off the charts but has only been stymied by injuries. It’s true that Buxton’s ceiling isn’t as high as that of Trout and some other stars, so he will need some help in order to win MVP. But if the cream of the crop falters just a bit, Buxton could swoop in. He is a 5-tool player who hit a career-high 28 bombs in 2022 despite missing 70 games. Buxton’s average suffered, but don’t forget that he batted .306 in 2021. The 29-year-old is still in his prime and the unexpected return of Carlos Correa will help him immensely in the Twins’ lineup. At +4000, Buxton is worth a sprinkle.
If you’re looking for a new sportsbook, check out Bet365, the world’s #1 sportsbook. They have an amazing sign-up offer where you can bet just $1 and instantly get $365 in bonus bets! There’s no catch, it’s really that simple. Click here to join Bet365 right now.
National League MVP odds and predictions
Juan Soto +550
Mookie Betts +950
Fernando Tatis Jr. +1000
Ronald Acuna Jr. +1000
Trea Turner +1100
Nolan Arenado +1200
Manny Machado +1200
Freddie Freeman +1400
Paul Goldschmidt +1500
Austin Riley +1600
Pete Alonso +1600
Matt Olson +2400
Francisco Lindor +2500
NL MVP best bet: Trea Turner (+1100)
I was actually planning on staying away from Turner following his World Baseball Classic heroics, but the odds haven’t moved in his favor as much as I thought. The new Phillies shortstop is still the fifth favorite in the National League and has great value at +1100. In his final season with the Dodgers he drove in 100 runs, scord more than 100 and stole 27 bases while hitting almost .300. In a loaded Philadelphia lineup (even without Bryce Harper for the first half of the season), Turner should go crazy.
NL MVP longshot: Austin Riley (+1600)
Riley put up huge numbers last year even though Ronald Acuna Jr. missed more than 40 games and Ozzie Albies missed almost 100. To be exact, Atlanta’s third baseman hit 38 homers, had 93 RBIs and scored 90 runs. Outside of HRs, his numbers were even better in 2021 – so it’s clear that none of this is a fluke. Just imagine what Riley is going to do if he has both Acuna and Albies hitting in front of him for an entire season….
You can bet on this pick with WynnBET, where you can secure $100 in bonus bets by signing up right now and wagering $100. Click this link to get started.
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news and best bets. Check out our expert NFL Picks, NBA Picks, MLB Picks and NHL Picks pages for our latest game picks.
