NL MVP Odds Candidates: Braves' Duo Olson, Acuna Jr. Firing Early

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 of contenders are in the top five, headlined by the team’s leadoff hitter. 

With Acuna Jr.’s start to the year, he’s continued to see his odds bet down, and for good reason. The Braves superstar talent was priced at +550 last week but has risen to +450 and is still the odds-on favorite. Acuna Jr. is hitting .368, with a monster 1.001 OPS and three home runs. His dynamic presence is a big reason Atlanta has gotten off to a promising start. 

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 the team to an 11-7 start. The Polar Bear wasn’t ranked among the top five players with the best odds to win National League MVP last week, but he’s steamrolled his way into the conversation and now boasts the second-shortest odds at +950. 

Let’s dive into the numbers. Alonso has clubbed eight home runs through 69 at-bats and has a 1.005 OPS. Talk about making a statement in April. Power has always been evident in his game, and the Mets certainly aren’t complaining about his torrid start to the campaign. 

Another new entrant inside the top five is Braves slugger Matt Olson. 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 favorites. Hitting in a batting order as lethal as the Braves has its benefits, and Olson is certainly feeding off that early. 

The Braves first baseman has mashed six home runs and has a 1.053 OPS through 71 at-bats. His career average OPS of .853 suggests he’s due for some regression, but there’s a lot to be impressed about with how he’s kicked off his 2023 season. 

Trea Turner is critical to the Philadelphia Phillies’ top-of-the-order. He was signed to be such in the offseason when they inked him to a monster contract to be their shortstop for the next decade. Turner is the definition of a five-tool player and will be relied upon heavily to keep their offense going up top. 

Turner has been fine early on in his Phillies tenure, but we expect more production from him moving forward. He has just a .743 OPS through 76 at-bats. With the numbers not necessarily being there early, investing now in his MVP price at +1100 is a worthwhile option. 

There’s a lot to like about Mookie Betts and what he provides to a baseball team. It hasn’t been an ideal start to the regular season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Betts has continued to do what he does best: get on base. 

The Dodgers’ prime threat at the top of their lineup has a .390 OBP. He’s hit just a pair of long balls, but the power numbers will come once the LA lineup finds more consistency. Betts has dropped off from +1000 all the way down to +1500 to win National League MVP, but with his talent level and importance to the team, now may be a good time to invest in his MVP futures. 

Top 5 NL MVP Candidates Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.