The race is on. With the 2025 MLB regular season almost here, the odds are up and everyone is trying to gauge who will win the MLB MVP awards.

It’s not the same as other sports such as the NBA or NFL. This typically is not a one-position award, and you have two leagues to work with instead of one. Pitchers usually get the Cy Young, so you won’t get a copycat situation where one position is an easy call to win.

Pitchers can win league MVP, of course, so that actually creates an added wrinkle that only complicates the process of betting on this market. Needless to say, predicting the AL and NL MVP winners isn’t easy, but we have MLB MVP odds, there are some clear frontrunners, and I have preferred plays to target at the top sports betting sites online.

Regardless of which MLB teams you prefer, or if any of these guys can will their teams to the World Series or not, the MVP race will take on a life of its own. Let’s see who you may want to back going into 2025.

Who Won The American League MVP?

When betting on MLB MVP winners, the players you’re betting on don’t have to be in play when it comes to the MLB Pennants races, but it certainly helps.

Last year’s winner, Aaron Judge, obviously got a lot of steam due to smashing 58 home runs and hitting for a cool .322 batting average. It didn’t hurt that his New York Yankees were one of the best teams in baseball, won the AL East, and went on to play in the World Series.

Who Won The National League MVP?

On the other side, there was the NL MVP, with Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani coasting to a big win. Ohtani was god-level in his first season in L.A., crushing a career-high 54 dingers with 130 RBI, 59 stolen bases, and a crisp .310 batting average.

Much like Judge, Ohtani didn’t have empty stats. His Dodgers won the NL West, but were the victors in the end, triumphing over the Yanks in the 2024 World Series.

MLB MVP Odds

Check out the latest MLB odds for the MVP Award:

The big takeaway when first looking at the NL and AL MVP odds is that you’re assuming a good amount of risk if you bet on a repeat champion. For one, it’s just something that doesn’t happen all that often, but you’re also just not getting amazing prices here.

Ohtani is the one I’d lean to if I am betting on a repeat. He is a generational player and if he actually returns to pitching in 2025 – and is dominant – I just don’t see any way around him winning again.

There’s plenty of value in these markets if you look beyond the favorite, of course. But I’ll break down why I like these guys to win again, or point to the top contenders that could dethrone them.

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AL MVP Odds

• Aaron Judge (+325)
• Bobby Witt Jr. (+350)
• Yordan Alvarez (+650)
• Gunnar Henderson (+750)
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+1200)
• Jose Ramirez (+1600)
• Corey Seager (+1600)
• Mike Trout (+1600)

Aaron Judge (+325)

You can’t have a conversation about the 2025 AL MVP race without inserting Aaron Judge’s name. He is the reigning MVP of this league, after all, and his Yankees are still viewed as a legit title contender.

I don’t buy New York at this point, but if they are to overcome the loss of Juan Soto and a season-ending injury to Gerrit Cole, chances are Judge had an amazing season. If he can smack the ball around at an MVP level and keep New York in contention, it may be difficult for anyone else to beat him.

Truth be told, Judge doesn’t need a big sales pitch. He has the ability to smack 60+ home runs in any given year. If he is producing at an elite level and New York isn’t a hot mess, he’s a real threat to win again.

Bobby Witt Jr. (+350)

Because I think the Yankees are headed for some regression, I will personally be looking elsewhere when betting on who will win the MLB MVP award out of the American League.

One such option is Kansas City Royals phenom, Bobby Witt Jr., who has his team looking strong after a 15-9 run during spring training. Preseason baseball tells us very little, but Witt is inching closer to MVP caliber production, clubbing 30 and 32 homers over his last two seasons.

KC is on the map as a legit threat to the AL Central after going 86-76 last year and finishing in second place, too. If they can heat up and Witt can push his home run count north of 40, we may be cooking with some gas here.

Yordan Alvarez (+650)

The Houston Astros seem to win the AL West every single year. That isn’t hyperbole, as they’ve literally won four division titles in a row and seven of the last eight. Big mashers like Yordan Alvarez are a big reason why, and if they are to continue that domination at the top of their division, he’ll probably need to have a huge year.

His team’s success is one thing, but Houston may flat out need a career-year out of their prized slugger after Kyle Tucker bolted for Chicago in free agency. Alvarez has flirted with MVP production for years, topping 31+ dingers in four consecutive campaigns.

The 2024 season was arguably his best year yet, with the 27-year old generating a .308 batting average (second best of his career), 35 home runs (second most), and 170 hits (career high). Alvarez has to up his numbers to really thrust himself into the American League MVP race, but the path to do so is there.

Gunner Henderson (+750)

My favorite bet to win the American League MVP award is Baltimore Orioles masher, Gunnar Henderson. If you’re looking for a rising team with an elite star to bet on, the O’s and Henderson are one of the most appealing spots.

Baltimore themselves won the AL East two years ago, and finished three games back of a repeat in 2024. If New York regresses even a little bit, the Orioles should be ready to pounce, and Henderson’s top shelf production could give him the AL MVP nod.

Henderson jumped from 28 homers in 2023 to 37 last year, while he also sported a career best .281 batting average and a career-high 92 RBI. Henderson is arguably just scratching the surface of who he can be in the majors, though, as he can certainly cut back his strikeouts, and he has the power to put up bigger numbers than we’ve seen so far.

If Henderson can up his game slightly more and Baltimore ends up being as nasty as I think they will be, we could be looking at the 2025 American League MVP winner.

Mike Trout (+1600)

If I am being honest, I don’t see a lot of other American League MVP threats beyond the top options. One I won’t quit just yet due to the potential of an overwhelming narrative, though, is Los Angeles Angels superstar, Mike Trout.

The Halos are projected to be awful, and Trout hasn’t been able to stay healthy in years. In fact, if the Angels were smart, they’d severely limit the amount he plays. That said, Trout is an elite talent and is still technically in his physical prime at age 33, so a career revival can’t be ruled out.

Should Trout bounce back in the biggest way possible and find a way to keep the lowly Angels relevant, he’d be a very interesting AL MVP candidate.

Bet: Gunnar Henderson (+750)

NL MVP Odds

• Shohei Ohtani (+180)
• Juan Soto (+600)
• Fernando Tatis Jr. (+800)
• Elly De La Cruz (+900)
• Mookie Betts (+1200)
• Bryce Harper (+1400)
• Kyle Tucker (+1400)
• Francisco Lindor (+1800)

Shohei Ohtani (+180)

The National League MVP race starts with Ohtani, who won this award a year ago in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He put up mind-boggling numbers, smacking 54 homers with 130 RBI and a blistering .310 batting average.

Ohtani was unstoppable, and his production played a huge role in L.A. winning the 2024 World Series. He wouldn’t need to help them repeat to be in play for the NL MVP again, as his regular season production has won him MVP awards before.

The real kicker? If Ohtani returns to the mound and also excels once again as a stud pitcher. Ohtani has proven he can dominate just as a hitter, but if he can crush as both an offensive and defensive cornerstone of a title contender, this race will be over before it starts.

Juan Soto (+600)

Ohtani looks like an easy pick to win the NL MVP race, and he ultimately probably will be. However, he does have his challengers, with new Mets outfielder Juan Soto being among the most viable contenders to unseat him.

Soto just got done having an amazing year with the Yankees, where the 26-year old slugger was overshadowed by AL MVP Aaron Judge despite smacking 41 home runs with 109 RBI. It’s tough to win an MVP when you’re on the same team as Judge, but now Soto can carry his own squad in New York with the Mets.

The production does have to be there, but judging off of last year, the sky’s the limit for Soto. The second piece might be the Mets finally living up to the preseason hype. That part, sadly, is easier said than done.

Fernando Tatis Jr. (+800)

Another viable threat to win the 2025 National League MVP is Tatis, who has had his career tripped up by injuries and drug scandals to this point. The talent and production has never been in doubt, of course, as Tatis had an amazing 42-homer season back in 2021, where he finished third in line for the trophy.

If he can reach that level of production again this year, he could be back in the MVP discussion. His San Diego Padres probably need to at least be as pesky as they were a year ago, and he’ll have to avoid any health woes or off the field scandals.

However, Tatis has proven he is a legit threat in an MVP race such as this, and at +800, he offers compelling value.

Elly De La Cruz (+900)

Someone like Elly De La Cruz is even more interesting than Tatis, because we really don’t yet know what he’s fully capable of. We do know, however, that De La Cruz can run the bases as well as anyone (67 steals in 2024), and he brings plenty of power to the table (25 long balls last year).

The problem? Elly strikes out a ton (218 whiffs last season) and his Cincinnati Reds aren’t very good. The Reds won just 77 games and finished fourth in the NL Central in 2024 – a result that isn’t going to bring home an NL MVP trophy most years.

De La Cruz is on everyone’s radar purely based on upside and his ability to churn out a wicked power and speed combo. If he comes out here and gets 60+ steals and 40+ homers and Cincy sniffs the playoffs, you better believe he will be a sleeper you’ll wish you’d have bet on.

Kyle Tucker (+1400)

Lastly, we have Kyle Tucker, who is a very interesting NL MVP candidate due to his change of scenery and his obvious penchant for power.

Firstly, Tucker moved from Houston to Chicago, where he has the Cubs listed as +100 betting favorites to win the NL Central. While I’m not sold on that uprising happening, if it does, Tucker would likely be in for a pretty big year.

The other thing is Tucker can hit the ball as well as anyone. To this point he’s simply been one big hitter on a team of many, and he’s yet to even top 30 home runs in a single season. Now he’s “the guy” all by himself, while he could get a nice boost from playing with the wind at his back in Wrigley Field.

There’s no guarantee he takes some massive leap from 30 HR to 50, but the potential is there and the Cubs are a sleeper team that could be on the rise. It could be the perfect recipe for anyone eyeing some value when betting on this year’s NL MVP race.

Bet: Shohei Ohtani (+180)

MLB MVP Winners

The following is a list of the most recent MLB MVP winners: