Most MLB MVP candidates have 30 games or so under their belts at this stage of the 2026 season, and we are starting to get a good idea of which players will be in contention this summer. Below, we will take a glance at some favorites and early-season surprises on Fanatics’ AL MVP odds board.
Favorites
Aaron Judge (+100)
Judge was the pre-season favorite with a +180 price and he remains atop the odds board. His 15 home runs lead MLB, and he is third in OPS at 1.066.
Yordan Alvarez (+310)
Alvarez has improved his standing on the AL MVP odds board since the start of the season as he was +1400 in early April. His .319 batting average is fourth in the American League, and he has the third-most dingers in the AL with 12.
Bobby Witt Jr. (+1000)
Witt did not hit his first home run of the season until April 26, and the Royals shortstop has just three round-trippers on the season. There are recent signs that he may be picking up the pace at the plate, though, as he has hits in five of the first six games he’s played in during the month of May.
Surprises
Ben Rice (+1200)
Rice was a whopping +12500 to win AL MVP in early April. He is now +1200, with only Judge, Alvarez and Witt Jr. ahead of him on the Fanatics odds board. The Yankees first baseman leads the American League in batting average as he’s hitting at a .343 clip. Rice belted 26 home runs and drove in 65 runs in 138 games played last season. In just 33 games played so far in 2026, he has 12 homers and 27 RBI. Of note, Rice is currently dealing with a hand injury that could land him on the injured list.
Mike Trout (+1600)
The calendar reads 2026, but Trout is playing like it’s 2016. The three-time AL MVP has 11 home runs so far this season, which is tied for fifth most in the AL. He is also fifth in the AL in OPS at .979. Health is always the big question with Trout, as he has played in over 100 games in a season just twice in the past five years. So far so good for the Angels superstar, who has played in 37 of the Halo’s 38 games in 2026.
Munetaka Murakami (+6000)
The White Sox’s front office deserves a mountain of praise for inking Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal this past off-season. Murakami slipped through the cracks due to an oblique injury that kept him sidelined for much of last season with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He has also been criticized by scouts in recent seasons for having a high strikeout rate, and having difficulty with high velocity. He has more than proven to be a capable Big League hitter in 2026, though, as his 14 home runs are second only to Judge in the AL. Murakami also has 28 RBI on the season, good for second in the AL.
