Hiram Moreno
We are already in the All-Star Game break, which marks the halfway point of this MLB season, in which we have seen a bit of everything and where a select group of players has performed above and beyond the rest, making them candidates for the American League MVP.
Here, at JefeBet, we will review the baseball players who currently have the best chances of winning the award, although anything can happen in the second half of the season.
Top Five Candidates for American League MVP in MLB 2022
Mike Trout (+1800)
As every year, Mike Trout is among the candidates to win the American League MVP, although this season he is having a hard time winning his fourth award.
The Angelinos star is hitting .270/.368/.599 with 24 homers and 51 RBIs on the season, being the third player in the league with the most homers to date. However, he faces stiff competition, with one of his main rivals being in the same team.
Yordan Alvarez (+1400)
Yordan Álvarez’s performance has grown considerably year after year since his arrival in the Major Leagues, and this season the Cuban is displaying all of his bat power. With 26 homers, Alvarez has the second most homers in the American League, while his 60 RBIs are in fifth place in the league.
He has also been consistent with the bat, hitting .306/.405/.653, so much of the Astros’ offense rests on his shoulders. If he keeps up the good work, he could climb several spots in the awards’ voting.
Rafael Devers (+1400)
One of the names in contention on the Boston Red Sox, Rafael Devers, is putting up numbers not only for a possible MVP title, but to get that million-dollar extension he is looking for.
The Dominican Republic’s hitter was everywhere in the first half of the season:he is the second-highest hitter in the American League with a .324 batting average and also in runs scored with 62. No other player in the league has more hits than him to date, with a total of 112 in 346 at-bats.
Aaron Judge (+160)
Aaron Judge bet on not renewing his contract before the start of the season, and instead waiting until the season’s finish to negotiate an extension. At the moment, the bet is working out well,as the “Judge” is hammering all the balls that come his way.
Although his batting average is just .284, Judge leads not only the American League in homers connected (33) and runs scored (74), but all of the Major Leagues, and he has also the second most RBIs in the junior circuit with a total of 70.
Shohei Ohtani (-110)
The reigning American League MVP is making his case for the crown once again by having another magnificent season.
His bat may not be as outstanding as Judge’s, with a .258/.348/.486 batting average and 19 connected homers, 56 RBIs and 10 stolen bases, but it has been in the pitching department where the Japanese has excelled the most .
Ohtani has a 2.38 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 87.0 innings pitched. His strikeout percentage is a whopping 35.4%, and only Robbie Ray, Gerrit Cole, Shane McClanahan and Dylan Cease have struck out more times than Ohtani’s 123 strikeouts in the American League.
Because of this, Shohei Ohtani is not only an MVP candidate, but could even be in the conversation for the Cy Young.
