The American League Most Valuable Player race has been completely transformed following an injury to New York Yankees star Aaron Judge that will keep him out of action for an extended period.
Judge, who has claimed AL MVP honors in each of the past two seasons, is dealing with a stress fracture in his right rib. Though doctors expect him to return before the season ends, the injury effectively eliminates any chance of capturing a third consecutive MVP award.
Houston Astros power hitter Yordan Alvarez has emerged as the new betting favorite, with BetMGM listing him at +140 odds. Through Friday’s games, Alvarez was posting a .316 batting average alongside 21 home runs and 44 RBIs, while accumulating a 3.1 WAR. His 1.077 OPS currently tops all of Major League Baseball.
Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. holds the second-best odds in the race. Even as the Royals have struggled through a difficult first half, Witt has maintained a .281 average with nine home runs, 26 RBIs and an impressive 3.8 WAR, while also providing exceptional defense.
Both Alvarez and Witt lead the MVP conversation despite their teams’ poor records. Kansas City entered Friday with the AL’s second-worst mark at 25-38, while Houston sat just slightly better at 28-36.
Judge’s Yankees teammate Ben Rice has emerged as another strong candidate, hitting .300 with 17 homers, 44 RBIs and a 2.6 WAR. His 1.030 OPS ranks second in the majors behind only Alvarez. Rice benefits from playing for one of the American League’s top teams and will likely see increased opportunities with Judge sidelined.
BetMGM has Rice listed at +300 odds, with Athletics second-year first baseman Nick Kurtz following at +850. Kurtz has built on his impressive rookie campaign by hitting .284 with 11 home runs, 43 RBIs and a 2.3 WAR across 61 games.
Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez rounds out the top contenders with +2200 odds.
Current AL MVP betting odds from BetMGM:
Yordan Alvarez, Astros (+140)
Bobby Witt Jr., Royals (+155)
Ben Rice, Yankees (+300)
Nick Kurtz, Athletics (+850)
Julio Rodriguez, Mariners (+2200)
Junior Caminero, Rays (+2800)
Jose Ramirez, Guardians (+3000)
Shea Langeliers, Athletics (+3000)
