The MLB MVP discussions since 2022 have largely centered on two players: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Will it be more of the same in 2025?
According to early MLB MVP odds, the answer could be a resounding "yes" as Ohtani and Judge are the betting favorites in the National League and American League, respectively.
Find out just how far ahead they are — plus the players who are looking to dethrone them — below.
2025 AL MVP Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Aaron Judge | +300 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | +450 |
| Yordan Alvarez | +600 |
| Gunnar Henderson | +750 |
| José Ramírez | +1500 |
| Corey Seager | +1600 |
| Mike Trout | +1600 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | +1700 |
| Rafael Devers | +2500 |
| Julio Rodríguez | +2500 |
| Jarren Duran | +3500 |
| Brent Rooker | +3500 |
| Cody Bellinger | +4000 |
| Tarik Skubal | +4500 |
| Riley Greene | +4500 |
| Yandy Díaz | +5000 |
| Vinnie Pasquantino | +5000 |
| Carlos Correa | +5500 |
| Adley Rutschman | +5500 |
| Wyatt Langford | +5500 |
| Marcus Semien | +5500 |
| Alex Bregman | +6000 |
| Kerry Carpenter | +6500 |
| Jose Altuve | +6500 |
| Lawrence Butler | +6500 |
| Triston Casas | +6500 |
| Steven Kwan | +6500 |
| Royce Lewis | +6500 |
| Randy Arozarena | +6500 |
| Cal Raleigh | +8000 |
| Jhonkensy Noel | +10000 |
| Junior Caminero | +12000 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | +12000 |
| Gerrit Cole | +12000 |
| Colton Cowser | +12000 |
| Byron Buxton | +12000 |
Entering last season, Aaron Judge had +550 odds to win AL MVP — he's +300 this time around as he looks to join the exclusive list of players to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Bobby Witt Jr., a worthy second-place finisher to Judge last season, trails close behind at +450.
A three-time AL MVP and four-time runner-up, Mike Trout comes in at +1600. Trout has only played in 266 games over the last four seasons — an average of 66.5 games per year — and is obviously in the declining phase of his career despite being productive when he does play. With Trout far removed from his prime and fittingly playing for a depressing team, it's hard to see value on the former MVP staple.
Notably, Tarik Skubal (+4000) is one of two pitchers on this list. Skubal achieved the AL pitching triple crown last season en route to his first Cy Young Award. That wasn't enough to get Skubal close to Judge and Witt, however, as the southpaw finished seventh in MVP voting. Only two pure pitchers have won MVP in the 21st century (Justin Verlander in 2011 and Clayton Kershaw in 2014).
The most likely player on this list to have a three-homer game and then end up on the injured list two hours later, Royce Lewis comes in at +6500. The offensive talent is undeniable, but Lewis has only played in 140 games over the last two seasons.
If you are interested in making a donation to DraftKings, Jhonkensy Noel (+10000) is included and doesn't even have the longest odds — an honor shared by four players at +12000 (Gerrit Cole, Byron Buxton, Colton Cowser, and Giancarlo Stanton).
NL MVP Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | +200 |
| Juan Soto | +550 |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | +750 |
| Mookie Betts | +1200 |
| Bryce Harper | +1400 |
| Kyle Tucker | +1500 |
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | +1600 |
| Francisco Lindor | +1600 |
| Elly De La Cruz | +2000 |
| Freddie Freeman | +2200 |
| Corbin Carroll | +2200 |
| Trea Turner | +2500 |
| Ketel Marte | +2500 |
| Jackson Merrill | +3500 |
| Jackson Chourio | +3500 |
| Matt Olson | +4000 |
| Mark Vientos | +4000 |
| Austin Riley | +4500 |
| Manny Machado | +4500 |
| Pete Alonso | +5000 |
| William Contreras | +5500 |
| Paul Skenes | +5500 |
| James Wood | +5500 |
| Marcell Ozuna | +6000 |
| Zack Wheeler | +7500 |
| Kyle Schwarber | +7500 |
| Michael Harris II | +7500 |
| Josh Naylor | +9000 |
| Blake Snell | +10000 |
| Willson Contreras | +10000 |
| Seiya Suzuki | +10000 |
| Christian Yelich | +10000 |
| Chris Sale | +10000 |
| Bryan Reynolds | +13000 |
| Willy Adames | +13000 |
| Oneil Cruz | +13000 |
| Luis Arraez | +15000 |
| CJ Abrams | +15000 |
Shohei Ohtani is the deserved heavy favorite in the NL. Going back to his days with the Angels, he's been an MVP contender every year since 2021. Ohtani has won the award three times in that span (he arguably should've been AL MVP in 2022) and he's the only player in MLB history to win back-to-back MVPs after switching leagues.
The intrigue this time around is that Ohtani will be returning to his two-way role in 2025 after not pitching in 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
While we probably won't see another 50-50 offensive campaign, that should be offset by his contributions on the mound. In 2021 – Ohtani's first full season as a pitcher after undergoing his first Tommy John surgery in 2018 – he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA while hitting .257/.372/.592 with 46 homers and 26 stolen bases en route to his first MVP award. It's worth noting that Ohtani isn't expect to pitch until May and that he's also coming off left shoulder surgery.
Sticking with the Dodgers since they are ridiculous: They have three other players on the odds board, with Mookie Betts (+1200), Freddie Freeman (+2200), and Blake Snell (+10000).
The 2024 NL MVP runner-up, Francisco Lindor (+1600) finds himself tied for seventh on the board. Coming off a near 30-30 season, Lindor is expected to continue leading off for the Mets in front of Juan Soto (+550), who finished third in AL MVP voting last year.
If you're looking for players who could deliver something close to a 50-50 campaign and compete with a healthy two-way Ohtani, there's Ronald Acuña Jr. (+1600) and Elly De La Cruz (+2000).
Acuña was an MVP winner just two seasons ago after delivering 41 homers and 73 stolen bases. The big drawback is he's returning from a torn ACL and reportedly won't play in the first month of the season. De La Cruz is coming off an All-Star season in which he hit 25 homers and stole 67 bases despite striking out at a 31% clip and leading the NL in punchouts, which is the main drawback with his game.
*Odds as of Thursday, Feb. 20 via DraftKings
