Manny Machado, Mookie Betts neck and neck in NL MVP odds

Manny Machado, Mookie Betts early favorites in NL MVP odds

When the 2022 season began, Manny Machado emerged as the favorite to win the National League MVP award almost immediately.

The San Diego Padres star is not only carrying his offense-lacking team and keeping them right behind

But just as the Padres are neck-and-neck with the Dodgers in the standings, MVP odds have Machado competing with their star, Mookie Betts. According to WynnBET, Machado and Betts are both favored at +250 to take home this year’s plaque, followed by Paul Goldschmidt (+350) and Bryce Harper (+800).

Here’s how Machado and Betts stack up:

Machado (59 games): .323/.394/.535, .929 OPS, 73 hits, 16 doubles, 1 triple, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 41 runs, 7 stolen bases

Betts (58 games): .279/.356/.536, .892 OPS, 66 hits, 13 doubles, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 52 runs, 6 stolen bases

Aside from slightly less power, Machado has outhit Betts in every possible way. If his Padres teammates got on base as much as the Dodgers, he’d probably be driving in more runs, but San Diego ranks below league average in most offensive categories.

But more than the individual metric nitpicking, the award in question is given to the player most valuable, and whereas the Dodgers are overflowing with offensive talent who can pick them up when Betts is slumping, the Padres rely heavily – almost solely – on Machado to carry the lineup. Without him, there’s no chance the Padres are 1/2 game out of first.

Of course, always take betting odds with a grain of salt. Somehow, despite not playing a single game so far this season, Tatis still has better odds (+10,000) than most NL’ers.