Hiram Moreno
As MLB has come to the end of the second month of action in the regular season, several players have begun to put their names in the race for the American League MVP title thanks to solid performances throughout the season and will hope to keep it that way to have options to qualify for that distinction.
Here we’ll give you a sneak peek at the main candidates after the action of the month of May.
American League MVP – Fifth: Yordan Álvarez
Since breaking into the league in 2019, Yordan Álvarez continues to do what he does best: hitting. With a batting average of .266/.361/.570, the Cuban is in the top 10 in the American League in terms of home runs (14) and OPS (.931),and has helped maintain the offensive power in the Houston Astros lineup despite the departure of Carlos Correa, doing his part to keep the team atop the American League West.
Bookmakers currently favor him at odds of +3000 to get the recognition, and he’ll need to improve if he wants to increase his chances.
American League MVP – Fourth: Rafael Devers
Another young hitter is part of the list of main candidates and that is Rafael Devers, who continues to be one of the main references in a Boston Red Sox lineup that also has great men like Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez and recently Trevor Story.
Devers has a .343/.373/.605 batting average this season, with 11 home runs hit and 26 RBIs, and during May, he had 14 appearances in which he had two or more hits, although most sportsbooks still have it as a +3000 to win the American League MVP title.
American League MVP – Third: José Ramírez
The Cleveland Guardians player earnt the “Player of the Week” recognition in the last week of May, and for a good reason, since the Dominican is practically keeping his team on its feet this season.
José Ramírez has struck out just 15 times in 45 games, and not only does he have good contact ability, he hits with power as he currently leads the MLB in RBIs with 51. The third baseman has been an MVP finalist three times, and his odds of +1600 rank him as the third-seeded seed behind two other players in the league.
American League MVP – Second: Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge tried to calm his critics after his bad start to the campaign, saying that it was something “normal” and that he would soon begin to return to being himself… and he was not wrong. The Yankees outfielder hasn’t stopped hitting since his slump and currently leads the league with 18 home runs, and while injuries have kept him from his best in past seasons, Judge has only missed two of 49 games so far.
With a spectacular batting average of .303/.371/.657, Aaron Judge ranks as the second favorite for American League MVP only behind an old acquaintance in the voting, with a +360 odds in the houses of bets.
American League MVP – First: Mike Trout
While Shohei Ohtani is the one stealing the spotlight right now, let’s not forget about the old boy of the house. Mike Trout continues to do Mike Trout stuff and ranks third in the American League with the most home runs (13), and is tied for first in the league in WAR.
His batting numbers of 302/.402/.636 are nothing to sneeze at, and as usual, Trout is the bookies’ favorite to win the title, currently at odds of +300.
