Further down the list, we have many players with (+2000) odds. A few players like Corey Seager and Jose Ramirez will likely play for non-contending teams, so it’ll be interesting how that affects their chances.

Who will win the 2022 AL MVP will be a popular question throughout the season. Ohtani opens as the early favorite, so let’s start discussing his chances.

Shohei Ohtani (+300)
Shohei Ohtani had a lot of hype coming into the MLB. Everybody wanted a player that could slug 40 home runs and pitch a sub 3.00 ERA. The Los Angeles Angels won the sweepstakes in 2018.

Ohtani had a great rookie season, but Tommy John Surgery situs bola resmi prevented him from pitching in 2019. He only made one pitching appearance in 2020. Ohtani was making an impact with his bat, but his pitching wasn’t on pace with his expectations.

Last season, everything came together for Ohtani. He was among the best players in the AL before the All-Star Break.

.279 batting average
33 home runs
70 RBIs
12 stolen bases
His bat slowed down in the second half of the season, but we saw him improve his pitching. On August 18, he pitched eight innings against the Detroit Tigers, allowing one run and recording 10 strikeouts.

Overall, Ohtani went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 158 strikeouts. Those are impressive numbers, but I’d say his hitting numbers won him MVP.

Ohtani hit .257 with 46 home runs and 100 RBIs. He was among the best power hitters in the league, ranking third in the MLB in home runs. This season, Ohtani looks to become the first player since Miguel Cabrera to win back-to-back MVPs. That’s one of the burning questions for the 2022 season.

Everyone loves the idea of a two-way player, but it takes a lot of wear and tear on a player. I wonder if we’ll see Ohtani have any negative effects of taking on a full workload in 2021.
He’ll also have some competition from his teammate. Ohtani had the spotlight last season because Mike Trout only played in 36 games. Trout will be back this season, which could take away from Ohtani’s production.

Now, we can talk about Ohtani among the top AL MVP contenders.