Who’s going yard?
That’s how we’ll most likely determine Most Valuable Player honor Tuesday night at the MLB All-Star game. Mike Trout, who has won the award in two of the previous four All-Star game, is one of several odds favorites. But given the nature of the game, it’s possible for anybody to take the title with one swing.
MLB All Star Game MVP Odds
Here are the full All-Star Game MVP odds, straight from Bovada and OddsShark:
Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts are the favorites at +1000 each. Next is Boston slugger J.D. Martinez, who finished the first half of the season with 29 homers and 80 RBI. He’s priced at +1100, just ahead of Tuesday’s starting pitchers.
It’s tough to project how long the starters will go in this game, but just in case AJ Hinch or Dave Roberts let their starters go, Chris Sale and Max Scherzer are both priced at +1400.
After that, it’s all about the sluggers. Aaron Judge, rested after skipping this year’s Home Run Derby, is priced at +1600 alongside Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. After that is a trio of hitters with serious pop. Jose Altuve, Freddie Freeman, and Jose Ramirez are all priced at +2000 to take home the award.
If you want a longshot, there’s bigger odds for players that will start the game on the bench. Last year, the MVP was decided in extra innings on Robinson Cano’s go-ahead dinger. If it’s another tight game that goes long, you could see players get subbed out. If it’s pop that gets the job done, tervor Story and Scooter Gennett at +5000 are the type of players that can make an instant impact.
MLB All Star Game MVP Prediction
As I posited in our All-Star Game odds post, these games are impossible to predict. The pitchers are constantly being shuffled, the games no longer have a bearing on the end of the season, and the players would rather hit homers than run the bases and risk injury.
It’s been a one-sided affair in recent years, with the NL losing five straight meetings. One reason for the struggles could be run support, as the National League has scored just nine runs in the last five games (compared to the AL’s 20). With Sale and Craig Kimbrel once again playing bookends for the AL, expect more outstanding pitching performances from both sides.
So that means we’re sprinkling on a few AL sluggers. It wouldn’t surprise me if Mookie Betts went yard, simply because he’s been the best hitter in baseball when healthy this season. I’ll definitely have something on Trout, the best player in baseball and two-time award winner. It would be awesome if Manny Machado, who could be traded during the game, could go yard as his swan song in the American League.
Best Bet: .5 units on Trout, .25 units on Machado
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MLB All Star Game MVP: Odds, Betting Pick & Predictions