NL MVP Odds Power Rankings: Freeman Gaining on Former Braves Teammate Acuna Jr.

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.

It’s been a tough week for Acuna Jr., and those were expected to transpire at some point, considering the monstrous numbers he’d put together early on. The Braves slugger saw his OPS drop from 1.015 to .959 over the last week, which didn’t help with his odds. In saying that, Acuna Jr. is still the odds-on favorite at +160. 

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is a new addition to the top five in NL MVP odds. The talented Canadian has notoriously been a big part of previous MVP races. Unsurprisingly, he’s finally emerged into the conversation as the end of May looms. 

Freeman has been on an absolute tear to close out May, where he’s improved his OPS from .962 last week to 1.006 on May 31. He’s clubbed ten home runs and has a 2.7 WAR, which has lessened the gap between himself and Acuna Jr. at the top of the NL MVP odds board. Freeman has been skyrocketing, jumping from +1800 to +700, where he sits comfortably alone with the second-shortest odds. 

The New York Mets are positioned amongst the World Series favorites, and Pete Alonso is a big headliner on their roster. Alonso put together a strong April but has fallen off in May and has thus seen a downswing in his odds of winning National League MVP. 

Alonso’s power numbers have continued to be extremely evident, which has seen him hit two homers over the last week, where he now resides with 20 on the campaign. His average hasn’t been there, but Alonso has still compiled an impressive 1.9 WAR while continuing to boast the same +1300 odds he did one week ago in the NL MVP race. 

We must raise the curious debate about Padres star Juan Soto again, as he’s back in the top five for the third week in a row. Is this a sign of positive things for Soto, or are we about to get sucked into him as a pretender for the NL MVP? 

Soto has been on a tear after beginning the season in a rut. You’re starting to understand why the Padres gave up haul for the former Washington National, even if the team hasn’t had a ton of success as a whole. Over the last week, Soto has seen his OPS rise from .905 to .938. Still, the Padres outfielder hasn’t seen any line movement, where he’s maintained his +1600 odds to win NL MVP. 

It was a troubling stretch to begin the regular season for the St. Louis Cardinals, but Paul Goldschmidt is a big reason they’ve dug themselves out of that hole. The reigning National League MVP has continued to post big numbers for St. Louis. 

The numbers haven’t quite been on par with his previous MVP season, but the production Goldschmidt has been able to manufacture is nothing to sneeze at. The Redbirds’ first baseman has hit ten home runs, tallied 26 RBI, and a very nice .905 OPS. As a result, Goldschmidt has now inserted himself into the top five at +1800. 

Top 5 NL MVP Candidates Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.