NL MVP Odds*
- Ronald Acuña Jr. (-600)
- Mookie Betts (+300)
- Freddie Freeman (+11,000)
*Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (h/t Covers.com) as of September 25, when they went off the board.
While the NL side of the playoff bracket told a different tale, the regular season was all about the Braves and Dodgers. So, it's not surprising to see the two teams taking up all three spots here. In fact, the only other player with listed odds when these went off the board was Acuña's teammate, Matt Olson (plus-9,000).
Freeman is clearly the third banana in this bunch, and award-voters will view him that way when they cast their ballots. He was spectacular—29 homers, 131 runs, 102 RBI and 23 steals—but with competition like this, spectacular actually isn't good enough.
Not when Betts and Acuña spent the campaign doing otherworldly things.
Betts exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. His versatility was ultra valuable in the field, and at the plate, he was nearly impossible to retire. He wound up posting a .307/.408/.579 slash line with 39 homers, 126 runs, 107 RBI and 14 steals.
Those would be award-winning numbers in a lot of years, but they won't hold up this time. Not after the historic season Acuña just had.
He not only gained entry into the vaunted 40-40 club, he established the 40-50, 40-60 and ultimately 40-70 clubs. When the curtains finally dropped on his magical season, he had paired his 41 home runs with a colossal 73 stolen bases, rounding out his stat line with 149 runs scored, 106 RBI and a .337/.416/.596 slash line.
Prediction: Despite the competition, Acuña wins in a landslide
