2026 MLB American League MVP Betting Odds
The 2026 MLB American League MVP betting market has changed considerably from where it stood in the…
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has since taken firm control of the race, while Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero is the only challenger still listed at a realistic price. Can anyone close the gap on Alvarez, or will he become only the second full-time designated hitter to capture the award?
Read on for more on what to watch and a closer look at several of the leading contenders.
Note: Odds were correct as of Sept. 28, 2026.
Best Sportsbooks for American League MVP Betting
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings offers American League MVP wagering throughout the MLB season, giving bettors the opportunity to predict which player will earn the AL’s top individual honor. Futures are available before the season begins and remain active as the award race develops.
American League MVP prices are influenced by offensive production, overall value, team success, and player availability. Bettors can back established stars or identify emerging contenders before their prices shorten.
DraftKings also carries a full range of MLB award markets, including Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and home run leader betting.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel provides American League MVP betting on many of baseball’s biggest names. The market is adjusted throughout the season as individual performances and team standings shape the award race.
Bettors can follow price movement while weighing key statistics, consistency, and team success. Players competing for postseason spots often receive significant attention in MVP discussions.
FanDuel supplements its award markets with a wide selection of MLB futures and player prop options.
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM offers American League MVP futures throughout the year, allowing bettors to back both leading contenders and longshot candidates. Prices are adjusted regularly as the season progresses.
The sportsbook responds to changes in the MVP race involving player performance, injuries, and team results. Those developments can create opportunities before the market fully adjusts.
BetMGM also offers markets covering other MLB awards, division races, and World Series futures.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook includes American League MVP betting within its comprehensive MLB futures menu. Bettors can wager on leading AL stars competing for one of baseball’s most prestigious awards.
MVP prices are updated throughout the season to account for changing statistical leaders and team success. Players posting standout numbers while helping their clubs contend can see their odds shorten.
Caesars also carries futures covering Cy Young awards, pennant winners, and World Series champions.
bet365 Sportsbook
Bet365 offers American League MVP betting alongside a broad selection of MLB futures. Bettors can choose from a large group of candidates throughout the season.
The sportsbook frequently adjusts MVP prices as players climb the statistical leaderboards and strengthen their award cases. Offensive numbers, defensive contributions, and team performance can all influence the market.
In addition to MVP wagering, bet365 provides extensive coverage of MLB awards and championship futures.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers provides American League MVP wagering on many of the league’s top players. These futures allow bettors to follow the award race from Opening Day through the final weeks of the season.
Prices fluctuate during the year as players deliver standout performances and teams compete for postseason positioning. Bettors can evaluate both current favorites and emerging candidates.
BetRivers also carries a variety of MLB futures covering awards, divisions, and postseason outcomes.
Hard Rock Bet
Hard Rock Bet offers American League MVP betting within its MLB futures lineup. Bettors can wager on leading AL players and follow the race throughout the season.
The sportsbook adjusts prices as statistical leaders emerge and the award race develops. Team success, individual production, and overall value can all play important roles in MVP consideration.
Hard Rock Bet also provides additional MLB markets, including championship futures and player award wagering.
How is the Winner Decided?
The American League Most Valuable Player is selected by ballot, with members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America submitting their votes immediately before the playoffs begin.
The voting uses a weighted points system, with writers considering a player’s production and overall impact on his team compared with other candidates in the American League.
MLB AL MVP Betting Odds (Updated Sept. 28, 2026)
With the 2026 regular season finished, the American League MVP race has become one of the most one-sided markets on the awards board. Yordan Alvarez is listed at -10000 at BetMGM and as short as -20000 at FanDuel, prices carrying implied probabilities of at least 99 percent.
The National League market has developed in a similar fashion, with Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong holding a comparable advantage in that race. Since ballots are submitted before postseason play starts, October results do not affect the voting, and the winners are generally announced in mid-November.
Top AL MVP Contenders
Here are the leading candidates as the regular season comes to an end. A three-player race in the spring became a two-man contest by midsummer before turning into a one-player market, with Alvarez separating from Caminero throughout August and September.
Yordan Alvarez (-20000 FanDuel / -10000 BetMGM)
Alvarez moved into the AL MVP favorite role in late May when he passed Judge for the first time, and his price continued to shorten from there. The Houston designated hitter was -165 at the All-Star break, moved to -350 in late July and -900 in early August, and eventually reached -20000 at FanDuel by mid-September.
Heading into the final weekend, Alvarez was batting .315 with 41 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a 190 OPS+, making him the American League’s most productive offensive player. His push for the first AL Triple Crown since 2012 faded late, but Houston’s AL West championship eliminated the team-success concern that had limited his candidacy for much of the summer.
History remains the final hurdle. Alvarez has never placed higher than third in MVP voting, while Shohei Ohtani is the only full-time designated hitter to have won the award.
Junior Caminero (+1200 FanDuel / +1500 DraftKings)
Caminero has remained the only player priced as a legitimate challenger, although his odds moved from roughly +500 in late July to +1200 or longer during September. The Tampa Bay third baseman carried a career-best .895 OPS with 35 home runs by the end of August and hit a walk-off homer that secured the first postseason berth of the 2026 season.
The team-success portion of Caminero’s case is strong, with Tampa Bay finishing 98-64 to win the AL East and earn the No. 1 seed. The betting market, however, indicates that the production gap between Caminero and Alvarez’s historic offensive season is too large for the voting narrative to overcome.
Bobby Witt Jr. (+8000 BetMGM)
Witt traded as short as +500 earlier in the season before a back injury affected his production and created questions about his availability. His price settled at +8000 at BetMGM in September, while Kansas City’s 69-93 record left him without the team-success backdrop voters have often rewarded.
Cam Schlittler (+8000 BetMGM)
The Yankees ace is the only pitcher still listed at a meaningful MVP price, sitting at +8000 at BetMGM. Schlittler anchored a New York pitching staff that led MLB with a 3.24 team ERA and helped the Yankees secure the top AL wild card during Judge’s absence, although pitchers rarely capture the award.
How the 2026 AL MVP Odds Moved
The table below shows how the prices on the two leading candidates changed during the season.
| Date | Yordan Alvarez | Junior Caminero |
|---|---|---|
| All-Star break (mid-July) | -165 | N/A |
| Late July | -350 | +512 |
| Early August | -900 | +600 |
| Mid-August | -2000 | +950 |
| Mid-September | -5000 (DraftKings) / -20000 (FanDuel) | +1500 (DraftKings) |
| Sept. 19 | -20000 (FanDuel) | +1200 (FanDuel) |
The listed prices reflect market odds reported at the time, including consensus numbers when a specific sportsbook was not identified.
Betting Outlook
Oddsmakers have effectively treated the AL MVP race as settled. At prices ranging from -10000 to -20000, Alvarez offers little practical betting value, and because ballots are submitted before the postseason, no remaining on-field result can influence the vote.
The strongest prices in this market were available months earlier. Bettors who backed Alvarez before he moved ahead of Judge in late May, or even at -165 around the All-Star break, secured some of the best numbers on the 2026 awards board. The season also demonstrated the risk attached to short-priced preseason favorites in award markets, as Judge’s +200 opening number lost its value once injury took him out of contention.
If Alvarez wins as the market expects, he will join Ohtani as the only full-time designated hitters to earn MVP honors, a result that could influence how voters compare offensive production with defensive value in future races.
MLB AL MVP Previous Winners
Judge has dominated the recent AL MVP history, winning three of the last four awards.
| Year | Player | Team |
| 2025 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees |
| 2024 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees |
| 2023 | Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels |
| 2022 | Aaron Judge | New York Yankees |
| 2021 | Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels |
| 2020 | Jose Abreu | Chicago White Sox |
| 2019 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels |
| 2018 | Mookie Betts | Boston Red Sox |
| 2017 | Jose Altuve | Houston Astros |
| 2016 | Mike Trout | Los Angeles Angels |
| 2015 | Josh Donaldson | Toronto Blue Jays |
How to Bet On The MLB AL MVP
To place an MLB AL MVP wager, follow these steps:
- Select your preferred sportsbook.
- Sign in to your account.
- Choose the MLB Odds tab from the menu.
- Select “Futures” from the drop-down menu.
- Select MLB AL MVP.
- Add your selection to the bet slip.
- Submit your wager.
