MLB betting: Does Freddie Freeman have a shot at catching Ronald Acuna for NL MVP?
Tuesday was the first time in a while that there was any intrigue in either MVP race.
The AL MVP race is over. If Shohei Ohtani shut it down for the rest of the season, he'd still be the MVP. He is -10000 to win it. No other player has shorter than 80-to-1 odds. In the NL, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. didn't have quite that big of a lead in the race, but it was significant.
Acuña was -1000 to win NL MVP on Tuesday at BetMGM. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman and Acuña's former Braves teammate Freddie Freeman was +800. That race got closer Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, Acuña was -650 and Freeman was +450. That's a significant shift, and there's still nearly two months left in the season.
Ronald Acuña's lead shrinks
Acuña's Tuesday night started like plenty of other nights for him this season, with a home run. Acuña has had a highlight just about every game. He has a .339 average, 28 homers, 68 RBI, 100 runs and 53 steals for a first-place Braves team.
Then Acuña was hit in the elbow with a pitch and left the game. The injury doesn't appear to be serious, but serious enough that the MVP odds shifted. Freeman's play was another big reason for the shift.
Freeman is also having a great season. After Acuña left the game, Freeman went 3-for-5 on Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. His average is up to .343. He has 23 homers, 81 RBI and 16 steals. The Dodgers, like the Braves, are in first place.
BetMGM took its NL MVP odds down on Wednesday morning as everyone awaited word on Acuña's status for Wednesday's game and beyond. When the odds went back up late in the morning, Acuña's lead had shrunk.
It opened up the idea that maybe the NL MVP race isn't totally finished.
Freddie Freeman having a great season
In most other seasons, Freeman would be running away with the MVP award. It's rare in today's game to see a first baseman with power hitting over .340. He'll steal more than 20 bases, on top of it.
Acuña is roughly on pace for a 35/75 season, which is unheard of. There have been only two 30/50 seasons ever. Bonds had a 33/52 season in 1990, and Eric Davis had a 37/50 season in 1987. Acuña might need every bit of his historic season to hold off Freeman, too.
It's rare to be a -650 favorite at this point in the season for an MVP award, so it's not like Acuña is losing the award. But the door is slightly open for Freeman to at very least make it interesting in September.
BetMGM had been offering a bet on anyone but Acuña to win NL MVP. It has offered the same for the field against Ohtani in the AL. The Ohtani vs. the field odds are still up. Acuña vs. the field wasn't up as of Wednesday morning.
Suddenly, Acuña MVP bettors might have a little bit of a sweat.
