The World Series — and thus the entire 2021 MLB season — has finally reached a conclusion, as the Atlanta Braves won their first title since 1995 with a 4-2 series win over the Houston Astros.
Atlanta had a number of players in contention for the award, but it was a power-hitting slugger (who had a number of clutch home runs) in the Fall Classic take home the award.
Let's take a final look at the World Series MVP odds from the 2021 Fall Classic.
World Series 2021 MVP odds (prior to Game 6)
| Player | World Series MVP odds |
|---|---|
| Jorge Soler | +600 |
| Freddie Freeman | +700 |
| Adam Duvall | +750 |
| Austin Riley | +750 |
| Jose Altuve | +900 |
| Travis d'Arnaud | +1,000 |
| Michael Brantley | +1,100 |
| Eddie Rosario | +1,900 |
| Ian Anderson | +2,000 |
| Kyle Tucker | +2,000 |
| Carlos Correa | +2,000 |
| Yuli Gurriel | +4,000 |
| Ozzie Albies | +5,000 |
| Will Smith (ATL) | +5,000 |
| Jose Urquidy | +5,000 |
| Max Fried | +5,500 |
| Martin Maldonado | +6,500 |
| Tyler Matzek | +7,000 |
| Dansby Swanson | +7,000 |
| Luis Garcia | +7,500 |
| Alex Bregman | +7,500 |
| Yordan Alvarez | +10,000 |
| AJ Minter | +10,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of November 1, 2021.
World Series MVP winner
It was no surprise that Atlanta stars dominated the top of the odds board heading into the final game of the series, as Atlanta had a 3-2 series lead, but pre-game favorite Jorge Soler delivered yet again to seal the award.
With the game tied 0-0 in the third inning, and two out, Soler absolutely annihilated a 3-2 pitch from Luis Garcia into the cool Houston night — a 446-foot blast that gave the Braves a 3-0 lead that they would never relinquish in an eventual 7-0 win.
Acquired at the trade deadline, Soler went 1 for 13 in the NLDS, then just had two at-bats in the NLCS before coming alive in baseball's biggest stage. He went 6 for 20 with a .391 on-base percentage in the Fall Classic, with three massive home runs — a lead-off bomb in Game 1, the second half of back-to-back dingers (that proved to be the winning run) in a Game 4 win, and then Game 6's mammoth shot.
Bettors would have patted themselves on the back for backing Soler to win the award anytime... but especially prior to the start of the World Series — when he was available at +3,500 to win!
How is the World Series MVP decided?
The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award is decided by a committee of media members and officials who are in attendance at the final game.
The honor is awarded to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance during the World Series — performance during earlier postseason rounds does not count toward this award.
The World Series MVP can be given to a player from either the winning or losing team, although a player from the losing team winning the award has only happened once (Bobby Richardson, NYY, 1960).
How to read World Series MVP odds
The World Series MVP odds are displayed in a list format with corresponding odds for each player considered an MVP candidate. The odds will reflect the implied probability of that player winning MVP.
Most sportsbooks in North America will list World Series MVP odds in American format:
- Jose Altuve -120
- Freddie Freeman +187
This means that a $100 bet on Altuve would profit $83 (or a $120 bet would win $100), while a $100 bet on Freeman would profit $187. Use our odds converter to switch American odds to decimal or fractional and to see how much you could win using different odds.
World Series MVP history
The World Series MVP Award has been handed out to the player deemed to have had the greatest impact on his team's performance during the championship series every year starting in 1955. Prior to the 2017 postseason, the award was renamed in honor of Willie Mays in remembrance of the Hall-of-Famer's historic catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series. The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award trophy is a wooden pedestal topped by a bronze sculpture of Mays making the iconic catch.
Pitchers have won the award 29 times (four times by relief pitchers), including 12 of the first 14 years from 1955 to 1968. More recently, dating back to 2004, the award has been won 14 of the last 17 years by non-pitchers.
Betting has only been available on the World Series MVP Award since 2002. The table below lists those winners, in addition to their odds to win before the World Series began.
| Year | MVP winner | MVP odds | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Corey Seager | +800 | SS |
| 2019 | Stephen Strasburg | +1,950 | SP |
| 2018 | Steve Pearce | +5,500 | LF/1B |
| 2017 | George Springer | +2,200 | OF |
| 2016 | Ben Zobrist | +1,500 | 2B/OF |
| 2015 | Salvador Perez | +2,500 | C |
| 2014 | Madison Bumgarner | +700 | SP |
| 2013 | David Ortiz | +900 | DH/1B |
| 2012 | Pablo Sandoval | +1,200 | 3B |
| 2011 | Davis Freese | +1,000 | 3B/1B |
| 2010 | Edgar Renteria | +3,300 | SS |
| 2009 | Hideki Matsui | +800 (field) | SP |
| 2008 | Cole Hamels | +600 | SP |
| 2007 | Mike Lowell | +1,200 | 3B |
| 2006 | David Eckstein | +1,500 | SS |
| 2005 | Jermaine Dye | +1,000 | RF |
| 2004 | Manny Ramirez | +500 | LF |
| 2003 | Josh Beckett | +1,200 | SP |
| 2002 | Troy Glaus | +800 | 3B/1B |
Where can I bet on World Series MVP odds?
Once the fall classic begins, most online and casino sportsbooks will offer World Series MVP odds, as well as World Series moneylines, runlines, Over/Under totals, and other World Series prop odds. Head over to our best baseball betting sites for World Series odds in your area.
