Although the odds aren’t as close at the top as in the American League, the National League MVP race is set to become very interesting. Of the top four players, two of them have won an MVP in the past and the other two are young superstars taking the league by storm. In just a couple of days, the race for the coveted MVP awards will begin and we get ready for the 2022 MLB season to commence.
Odds to Win the 2022 National League MVP
Juan Soto (+350)
Ever since his debut in 2018, Juan Soto has set the baseball world on fire. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year race that season and has finished in the top ten in MVP voting ever since. This includes finishing second last season when he hit .313 with 95 RBI and 29 home runs in 151 games. Soto also had an OPS of .999 and made his first All-Star game. The 23-year old has patience at the plate, helping him become one of the most feared hitters in the game. Soto is one of the few bright spots on this Washington Nationals team for this season and a lot of MLB betting sites have him taking home the hardware in 2022.
Mookie Betts (+700)
The Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts from the Red Sox in 2020. This comes after Betts won the AL MVP in 2018 and finished as the runner-up in 2016. His first year in the National League couldn’t have gone better as not only did he finish as a runner-up to the MVP but he lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series title. Betts marches into this season with a stacked team hoping to win a World Series in a 162-game schedule. He currently has the second-best odds to win the National League MVP and is looking to increase his production from 2021.
Ronald Acuna Jr (+800)
Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr. burst on the scene together and have shown everyone why they are the future. As noted, Soto placed second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2018 but Acuna Jr. was the one to beat him out for the award. The Braves young star only played in 82 games last season due to a torn ACL. In that time, he brought in 52 RBI with 24 home runs and an OPS of .990. Acuna Jr. was well on his way to contending for his first MVP award before the injury.
The 24-year-old is an all-around player with his power, speed, and defense. He sadly missed out on the Atlanta Braves World Series run in 2021 but comes into this season looking to help lead his team to yet another championship. Acuna Jr. will be sidelined until mid-to-late May as he’s still recovering from the injury but the fact that he’s still third on this list for the National League MVP tells everyone all you need to know about how great he is.
Bryce Harper (+900)
Bryce Harper won his second MVP award in 2021 after hitting .309 with 84 RBI and 35 home runs. Even know the Philadelphia Phillies missed the postseason, that didn’t stop him from having one of the best seasons of his career. Harper also had a .429 OBP, .615 SLG, and 1.004 OPS that sealed him the National League MVP. The Phillies signed him to a huge 13-year, $330M contract in 2019 after spending seven seasons with the division-rival Nationals. Although the goal of getting to the playoffs or winning a World Series hasn’t panned out yet, Harper still has a lot of good baseball left in him as he sits at age 29.
Next Best Odds
Freddie Freeman (+1000)
Trea Turner (+1200)
Nolan Arenado (+2000)
Francisco Lindor (+2000)
Matt Olsen (+2000)
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