AL MVP odds: Bobby Witt Jr. gaining ground on Juan Soto in race

One month into the Major League Baseball season, Juan Soto remains the MVP favorite in the American League. 

But a breakout star is right on the heels of the Yankees outfielder. 

After an unbelievable start, Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has the second-best AL MVP odds at FanDuel Sportsbook (+420) as the calendar turns to May, creeping up behind Soto (+220).

2024 AL MVP odds

Heading into Tuesday’s play, Witt is slashing .306/.351/.537 with four home runs, nine stolen bases and excellent defense at shortstop (+4 Outs Above Average) for an upstart Kansas City team that’s been one of the early surprises of the 2024 season. 

The Royals, who are 17-13 after a Monday night loss to the Blue Jays, have emerged as a surprising playoff contender in the Junior Circuit, holding one of three wild card spots and sitting three games back of the AL-best Cleveland Guardians in the Central division. 

Oddsmakers pegged Witt as a fringe MVP candidate before the season — BetMGM Sportsbook had him at +1600, which was tied with Adley Rutschman for the sixth-best odds in the league, in late March.

In The Bronx, Soto is living up to all the hype. 

Soto is hitting .316/.429/.553 with seven home runs for the 19-11 Yankees as they prepare for the second game of a crucial four-game series against AL East rival Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. 

Soto has been the consensus favorite since shortly after Opening Day after a slow start from teammate Aaron Judge, who had been at the top of most odds boards throughout spring training. 

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The Orioles, who are virtually tied with the Yankees at the top of the division before Tuesday’s game, have an early MVP candidate of their own in shortstop Gunnar Henderson (+460), who rounds out a clear top five at FanDuel.

Henderson is tied with Mike Trout with an AL-best 10 home runs while slashing .289/.352/.632 and manning shortstop for Baltimore.