NL MVP Futures Betting: Max Muncy is Criminally Undervalued

After years of failing to meet expectations, the Los Angeles Dodgers made wholesale changes this offseason. Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner were replaced by J.D. Martinez, James Outman, and Miguel Rojas.

At face value, the club has a lot of run production to account for, but thankfully, Max Muncy has been up to the challenge. The Dodgers third baseman has been one of the top producers in the majors and should continue to see his stock rise on the MVP futures board.

Widely regarded as one of the most disciplined hitters in the league, Muncy is on a torrid pace to begin the campaign. The two-time All-Star is tied for the MLB lead in home runs, with ten, while also ranking in the top ten in RBI, driving in 19. Although he will be hard-pressed to sustain that pace throughout a 162-game season, Muncy is already putting distance between himself and the top contenders. 

Additionally, Muncy remains a progression candidate after a couple of down seasons. The former fifth-round pick has fallen below career benchmarks in on-base and slugging percentage in two of his past three campaigns. Over that stretch, his slugging percentage dropped to .446, below his career average of .479 and even further off his previous best of .582. Statistically speaking, a bounce-back year is expected from Muncy.

Lastly, Muncy has a championship pedigree. He was integral to the Dodgers’ World Series win in 2020 and has finished top 15 in MVP voting three times since 2018. With less star power in LA’s lineup, Muncy will start to get more of the respect he deserves. 

For someone as elite as Muncy, you’d think his odds would be higher than +7000, but that’s not the case. The 32-year-old is way down the list at FanDuel Sportsbook, currently priced with the 17th-highest odds. His odds will only continue to drop the longer he sustains this pace, and there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight.

Top 5 NL MVP Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.