Patrick McDermott/Getty Images. Pictured: Juan Soto.
The opening of MLB spring training for the 2021 season is a mere weeks away, and it’s time to start looking ahead to the start of the new campaign.
While most books have released and continuously update division, pennant and World Series odds, we have an early taste of player futures with odds for the MVP awards in both leagues.
Let’s take a look.
Odds as of Thursday, Feb. 4 and via DraftKings.
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American League MVP
| Mike Trout +200 | Alex Bregman +1000 |
| Aaron Judge +1200 | Jose Ramirez +1200 |
| Matt Chapman +1500 | Anthony Rendon +1500 |
| Jose Abreu +2500 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. +2500 |
| Yoan Moncada +2500 | Luis Robert +2500 |
| Gleyber Torres +2500 | Rafael Devers +3000 |
| Yasmani Grandal +3000 | George Springer +3000 |
| Tim Anderson +3300 | Bo Bichette +3300 |
| Xander Bogaerts +3300 | Eloy Jimenez +3300 |
| Shohei Ohtani +3300 | Yordan Alvarez +3300 |
| DJ LeMahieu +3300 | Jose Altuve +4000 |
| Carlos Correa +4000 | Matt Olson +4000 |
| Giancarlo Stanton +4000 | Kyle Tucker +4000 |
| Randy Arozarena +5000 | Josh Donaldson +5000 |
| Joey Gallo +5000 | Ramon Laureano +5000 |
| Kyle Lewis +5000 | J.D. Martinez +5000 |
| Austin Meadows +5000 | Luis Arraez +6000 |
| Wander Franco +6000 | Jorge Polanco +6000 |
| Alex Verdugo +6000 | Luke Voit +6000 |
| Adalberto Mondesi +7500 | Miguel Sano +7500 |
| Teoscar Hernandez +8000 | Franmil Reyes +8000 |
| Gary Sanchez +8000 | Kyle Seager +8000 |
| Jo Adell +10000 | Jorge Soler +10000 |
It should come as no surprise that Mike Trout is once again favored. Even after a year in which he finished a mere fifth in the award voting, we’re still talking about a player who has won the award five times, finished second four times and finished in the top-five in every full season of his career.
Trout is still only 29, and the only questions regarding his MVP candidacy are health and the fact that he plays for a perennial loser, which still disqualifies him in the eyes of a faction of voters.
Behind Trout, last year’s winner, Jose Abreu, checks in at 25-1, tied for the fifth-lowest odds in the league. Among those in front of him are Jose Ramirez, last year’s runner-up, and Alex Bregman, who finished second in the last full season in 2019.
A handful of youngsters primed for a breakout rank among potentially intriguing plays, including Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (25-1), a trio of White Sox (Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert 25-1, Eloy Jimenez 33-1 ), and star building blocks on both sides of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry (Gleyber Torres 25-1, Rafael Devers 30-1).
Got your eyes even further toward the future? Global No. 1 prospect Wander Franco checks in at 60-1, although it’s unclear if or when the Rays will promote the 19-year-old. His future teammate Randy Arozarena, fresh off one of the most incredible postseason runs in history, still technically qualifies as a prospect, and he’s going at 50-1. Meanwhile, last year’s rookie of the year Kyle Lewis is 50-1, and the Angels’ Jo Adell, who had a miserable freshman campaign, is sitting at 100-1.
National League MVP
| Mookie Betts +750 | Juan Soto +750 |
| Cody Bellinger +800 | Fernando Tatis Jr. +850 |
| Ronald Acuna Jr. +1000 | Nolan Arenado +1200 |
| Freddie Freeman +1200 | Francisco Lindor +1200 |
| Christian Yelich +1200 | Bryce Harper +1500 |
| Corey Seager +1500 | Manny Machado +2200 |
| Trevor Story +2500 | Ozzie Albies +3000 |
| Kris Bryant +3000 | Ketel Marte +3000 |
| J.T. Realmuto +3000 | Anthony Rizzo +3000 |
| Pete Alonso +3300 | Javier Baez +3300 |
| Paul Goldschmidt +3300 | Michael Conforto +4000 |
| Ian Happ +4000 | Rhys Hoskins +4000 |
| Max Muncy +4000 | Charlie Blackmon +5000 |
| Alec Bohm +5000 | Paul DeJong +5000 |
| Trent Grisham +5000 | Jeff McNeil +5000 |
| Eugenio Suarez +5000 | Trea Turner +5000 |
| Ke’Bryan Hayes +7500 | Gavin Lux +7500 |
| Tommy Pham +7500 | Mike Yastrzemski +7500 |
| Josh Bell +10000 | Nicholas Castellanos +10000 |
| Willson Contreras +10000 | Mike Moustakas +10000 |
At 28, Mookie Betts hardly qualifies as an elder statesman, but he’s six years the senior of his co-favorite for the NL award, Juan Soto.
Betts finished second a year ago and already has an award on his ledger, from 2018 with the Red Sox, while the Childish Bambino was fifth in 2020 despite leading the league in all three triple-slash categories at the age of 21.
Last year’s winner, Freddie Freeman, checks in at 12-1, while his teammate Ronald Acuna Jr. is right in front of him at 10-1.
2019 winner Cody Bellinger is 8-1, and emerging superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., who plays for the emerging contender Padres, is +850.
A couple of players who recently changed teams can be found with relatively low odds. New Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is 12-1, which is the same as new Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. A player who didn’t change teams, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, is 30-1.
