NL MVP Odds Candidates: Braves' Acuna Jr. Jumps to Top Spot

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 candidates 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. Atlanta’s lineup is one of the most feared in baseball, and the re-emergence of Acuna Jr. at the top of the lineup can’t be understated. 

Acuna Jr. saw his odds of winning NL MVP nearly cut in half, where he was bet down from +1000 to +550. Over the last week, he’s had three multi-hit games and is the table setter this lineup needed. His upside is undeniable, and now his odds reflect that. 

There’s a lot to like about how  Mookie Betts has started his 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s having no issues getting on base, where he boasts a .426 OBP through 43 at-bats. His best performance of the young calendar year came against the San Francisco Giants, where he had three hits, including a home run and two RBI. Betts is a perennial candidate to win MVP, and his role with the Dodgers in 2023 undoubtedly elevates his status as a contender for the award. Even after a positive start to the year, Betts has seen his odds fall from +950 to +1000. 

Juan Soto no longer boasts the top odds to win NL MVP and has seen his odds tumble over the last week. After a slow start, Soto has at least put together some solid numbers of late. Still, there are many question marks around him, and rightfully so, considering we don’t know exactly why he’s yet to fit into this San Diego Padres lineup. Soto has compiled two home runs and a .739 OPS through 42 at-bats, and he will need to be much better if he hopes to see his MVP odds get bet down again. For now, Soto has dropped from +550 to +1000, where he sits in a tie with the second-shortest odds. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. is closing in on his return to the San Diego Padres lineup. Tatis is finishing his rehab stint with their minor league affiliate. He’s starting behind the eight ball after missing the beginning of the season, but his dynamic presence has allowed him to stay right in the conversation to win National League MVP. If he gets off to a strong start with Padres once he’s activated, you have to really like the current price he’s sitting at, even if he dropped slightly from +1000 to +1100 over the last week. 

Trea Turner is critical to the Philadelphia Phillies’ top-of-the-order. The power numbers haven’t been there early for Turner, but he’s still hitting a robust .313 through 48 at-bats. He’s one of the top five-tool players in baseball for a reason, and it’s only a matter of time before he grows even more comfortably into his role with the Phillies. There isn’t a lot of concern surrounding Turner right now, considering he’s stayed with the identical odds he had last week at +1100. 

Top 5 NL MVP Candidates Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.