NL MVP Odds Candidates: Acuna Jr., Alonso Continue Sitting on Top

The National League is loaded with star power in 2023, and many candidates warrant consideration to win MVP. 

Below, we’ll look into the top five using odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Coming back from an injury, Ronald Acuna Jr. only managed to play 119 games in 2022. The Braves’ elite slugger is back to his pre-injury form and is now the odds-on favorite to win the National League MVP. When you have a lineup like the Braves, it shouldn’t be surprising that a pair from the NL East favorites are in the top five, headlined by the team’s leadoff hitter. 

The power element of Acuna Jr.’s game hasn’t been evident in April, as he’s left the yard just three times. Still, he has a very powerful .988 OPS and is doing an impeccable job at getting on base for Atlanta. Acuna Jr. has already tallied 1.5 WAR on the campaign and has continued to see his odds to win the NL MVP rise this week from +450 to +390. 

The New York Mets are positioned amongst the World Series favorites, and Pete Alonso is a big headliner on their roster. Alonso has been raking and making his presence felt at the dish early and often, leading to his odds continuing to get bet down to win the NL MVP. 

Alonso has always been known as a power hitter since he entered the league and clubbed a career-high 53 homers in his rookie season. He’s gotten off to an incredible start from a power standpoint, having hit ten home runs over 105 plate appearances. With the continued power showing at the plate, Alonso has seen his NL MVP odds bet down considerably from +950 to +650. 

Braves slugger Matt Olson joins his teammate Ronald Acuna Jr. inside the top five odds to win NL MVP. It’s not to say this is unexpected, considering Olson’s talent, but let’s see how long he sticks it out inside the top three.

Olson has continued to be productive near the top of the Atlanta lineup over the last week, leading to an impressive .925 OPS. Oddsmakers still aren’t entirely sold on him staying in this race though, as he’s continued to boast +1200 odds. There’s simply too much talent in the NL that has a chance to take his spot, meaning we don’t recommend this current price. 

There’s a lot to like about Mookie Betts and what he provides a baseball team. It hasn’t been a great start to the year though for the Los Angeles Dodgers star, but there should be better times ahead considering what he’s capable of. Betts will have the task of getting the Dodgers back on track after a rocky start for their standards. 

Even with a .813 OPS, Betts has found his odds rising to win NL MVP, from +1500 to +1400. 

After making his return to the big leagues, Fernando Tatis Jr. is quickly and quietly entering the National MVP race. He’s only had 22 at-bats and has hit a poor .182 with one home run over that span. Still, the oddsmakers evidently believe in his talent and what he can do for this San Diego Padres team, which has the 24-year-old slugger rising into the top five, where he now holds +1600 odds to win the National League MVP. 

Top 5 NL MVP Candidates Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.