2026 MLB National League MVP Betting Odds

Shohei Ohtani won the honor last season and is once again the frontrunner to win the award again this year, which would make three in a row.

However, there are some other strong players who will be battling to take the honor. Here’s a look at what to expect and betting odds as the race for NL MVP heats up.

Note: Odds were correct as of Aug. 3, 2026

Best Sportsbooks for National League MVP Betting

How is the Winner Decided?

The National League Most Valuable Player is determined by a vote by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which takes place right after the end of the regular season.

NL MVP is decided through a weighted points system, based on factors such as player production and overall team impact.

MLB NL MVP Betting Odds

As the 2026 MLB season gets underway, the National League MVP race is already drawing attention from bettors. With a mix of established superstars and emerging talent, DraftKings odds highlight a competitive field where performance, team success, and durability will all play key roles.

Unlike team-based futures, MVP betting focuses on individual production, making it one of the most dynamic and unpredictable markets in baseball.

Top NL MVP Contenders (Updated Aug. 3, 2026)

Here is a look at the current NL MVP odds heading into the final two months of the 2026 season, with pricing from FanDuel and BetMGM as of early August.

Shohei Ohtani (-220)

Shohei Ohtani is still the odds-on favorite to win NL MVP, as he has been most of the season, but his lead is shrinking dramatically. Just two weeks ago he was -1000 for the award, and the number is now down to -220. The most significant development of the past month is that Ohtani has not pitched in nearly a month due to knee inflammation that caused him to miss a start and withdraw from the All-Star Game.

While he remains in the daily lineup as a hitter, the loss of his two-way contribution removes the most compelling argument for his candidacy over Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has been making up ground in the WAR standings with every passing week. Ohtani was -5000 just three weeks ago, making the current -220 price one of the most dramatic single-month market movements in recent MVP betting history.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (+190)

Crow-Armstrong has reached +190 and is now within striking distance of Ohtani in what has become a genuine two-horse race. PCA is hitting .285 with 24 home runs, 26 stolen bases, and 63 RBIs while leading the NL in WAR at 6.4, a complete offensive and defensive profile that makes him the most compelling challenger Ohtani has faced in any of his recent MVP campaigns.

The Cubs center fielder provides Gold Glove-caliber defense alongside the kind of power-speed combination that voters historically reward, and the longer Ohtani remains sidelined from pitching duties, the more the WAR gap between the two candidates narrows. Crow-Armstrong is on pace for another 30-30 season and may well challenge for the 40-40 club, a milestone that would make his case nearly impossible for voters to ignore even if Ohtani returns to the mound in September.

James Wood (+2500)

James Wood sits at 28-1 as one of the only remaining outside chances in the NL MVP race. The Washington Nationals outfielder continues to lead the National League in OPS and has delivered one of the more unexpected offensive performances of the season, but the structural challenge of winning MVP from a non-playoff team remains a nearly insurmountable barrier based on historical voting patterns.

Wood’s WAR profile is genuinely elite, and at +2500 the price reflects both his production quality and the team-success discount the market has applied throughout the season.

Kyle Schwarber (+4000)

Schwarber leads all of baseball with 32 home runs and has posted 59 RBIs with a .927 OPS through 93 games, making him the most prolific power hitter in the National League. The market has pushed him out to +4000, reflecting the persistent reality that a designated hitter with an OPS lower than Ohtani’s has historically needed to do something truly historic over a full season to generate serious first-place votes against a two-way player.

The Phillies have turned it around since their managerial change, giving Schwarber the team-success backdrop that voters typically require, but the gap between his WAR and Crow-Armstrong’s remains the core obstacle to a late-season surge in voting consideration.

Juan Soto (+4000)

Soto remains a model of plate discipline and continues to post elite OBP and OPS numbers, but his WAR has been limited by missed time and the Mets’ disappointing overall season continues to work against him in the narrative that drives MVP voting. At +4000, the market has essentially priced him as a statistical curiosity rather than a genuine contender unless both Ohtani and Crow-Armstrong suffer second-half setbacks simultaneously.

Other Players in the NL MVP Race

Otto Lopez continues to draw attention as the most unconventional candidate on the board, batting among the NL leaders while driving the Marlins’ surprising Wild Card push. His +6500 price reflects both the genuine quality of his season and the deep skepticism about whether a player on a long-shot playoff team can generate enough first-place votes to matter in a race dominated by two transcendent performers.

Matt Olson has drifted from his earlier position as a serious outside challenger to +8000 after injuries to Atlanta’s roster disrupted the Braves’ momentum and reduced his at-bat volume over the final weeks of July.

Betting Outlook

The NL MVP race has undergone the most dramatic odds shift of any major baseball award market in recent memory. Ohtani went from -5000 to -220 in less than a month, driven entirely by his knee injury keeping him off the mound. The two-way contribution that made him an almost unchallengeable favorite has been removed from the equation, and Crow-Armstrong’s extraordinary WAR production has closed the statistical gap to the point where the race is genuinely uncertain for the first time all season.

The Field bet at +650, which DraftKings offers as an Ohtani vs. The Field market, represents compelling value for bettors who believe either that Ohtani’s injury keeps him off the mound for the remainder of the season or that Crow-Armstrong’s continued production eventually overtakes him in the WAR-based arguments that tend to drive close MVP races in the final weeks.

The single most important variable between now and the end of the regular season is whether Ohtani returns to the mound. If he pitches effectively in September, the historical weight of a true two-way performer almost certainly carries him to a record fourth consecutive award. If he does not, Crow-Armstrong is the legitimate favorite to become the first Cubs player to win NL MVP since Ryne Sandberg in 1984.

MLB NL MVP Previous Winners

NL MVP has varied from year to year, but Ohtani look to remain a leading candidate for the forseeable future. Here’s a look at winners of the award since 2015.

Year	Player	Team
2025	Shohei Ohtani	Los Angeles Dodgers
2024	Shohei Ohtani	Los Angeles Dodgers
2023	Ronald Acuna Jr.	Atlanta Braves
2022	Paul Goldschmidt	St. Louis Cardinals
2021	Bryce Harper	Philadelphia Phillies
2020	Freddie Freeman	Atlanta Braves
2019	Cody Bellinger	Los Angeles Dodgers
2018	Christian Yelich	Milwaukee Brewers
2017	Giancarlo Stanton	Miami Marlins
2016	Kris Bryant	Chicago Cubs
2015	Bryce Harper	Philadelphia Phillies

How to Bet On The MLB NL MVP

To wager on the MLB NL MVP, complete these steps:

1. Choose your desired sportsbook.
2. Sign into your account.
3. Select the MLB Odds tab on the menu.
4. Choose “Futures” in the drop-down menu.
5. Click MLB NL MVP.
6. Add the pick to your bet slip.
7. Place your bet.