World Series MVP Odds: Ohtani Enters Fall Classic With Shortest Odds

Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge top the World Series MVP odds, but one good showing from Mookie Betts or Juan Soto could tip the scales.

Jason Wilson - Publishing Editor at Covers.com
Jason Wilson • Publishing Editor
Oct 21, 2024 • 08:59 ET • 4 min read
Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers MLB
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 World Series is quickly approaching and the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will face off for the biggest prize for the first time since 1981. 

Superstars Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are unsurprisingly at the top of the World Series MVP odds board. Still, there's been a great deal of movement underneath them. And a hot start from someone like Mookie Betts could tip the scales in his direction.

Here are the latest MLB odds to win World Series MVP.

World Series 2024 MVP odds

Player DraftKings FanDuel bet365
Dodgers Shohei Ohtani +200 +220 +200
Yankees Aaron Judge +400 +490 +450
Yankees Juan Soto   +500 +550 +500
Yankees Giancarlo Stanton  +800 +950 +850
Dodgers Mookie Betts   +900 +750 +850
Dodgers Max Muncy +1000 +1600 +1200
Yankees Gerrit Cole +2500 +3300 +2800
Dodgers Tommy Edman +2500 +3300 +2800
Dodgers Teoscar Hernandez +2800 +2700 +2800
Dodgers Enrique Hernandez +2800 +3000 +2800

Odds as of 10-21.

Shohei Ohtani is the betting favorite over Aaron Judge and Juan Soto with the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees starting Friday. 

Giancarlo Stanton looms large after claiming ALCS MVP honors after swatting four home runs in five games vs. Cleveland. 

Books are less bullish on Tommy Edman's shot at winning both NLCS and World Series MVP trophies, but he came alive vs. the Mets, hitting .407 with a home run and 11 RBI, helping fill the void left by Freddie Freeman's bum ankle.

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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 attending 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).

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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
  • Bryce Harper +187

This means that a $100 bet on Altuve would profit $83 (or a $120 bet would win $100), while a $100 bet on Harper 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 17 of the last 20 years by non-pitchers.

Position Total
Pitcher 29
Outfielder 11
Third baseman 10
Shortstop 8
ShortstopCatcher 7
Designated hitter 3
First baseman 3
Second baseman 1

Betting has only been available on the World Series MVP Award since 2003. The table below lists those winners, in addition to their odds to win before the World Series began.

Year MVP winner MVP odds Position
2023 Corey Seager +475 SS
2022 Jeremy Pena +2,500 SS
2021 Jorge Soler +3,500 RF
2020 Corey Seager +800 SS
2019 Stephen Strasburg +1,950 SP
2018 Steve Pearce +5,500 LF/1B
2017 George Springer +2,200 CF
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 David Freese +1,000 3B/1B
2010 Edgar Renteria +3,300 SS
2009 Hideki Matsui +800 (field) OF
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

World Series MVP trends

  • Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson (1960) is the only player to win World Series MVP honors while playing for the losing team.
  • The World Series MVP award has been awarded to a pitcher 42% of the time since its inception.
  • In 2022, the Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena became just the third rookie ever to win the World Series MVP award.
  • Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Reggie Jackson are the only players to win the World Series MVP award more than once.

World Series MVP Odds FAQs

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Jason Wilson Covers.com
Publishing Editor

Jason Wilson is an experienced journalist who has worked in a variety of roles within the industry for the past 18 years. Working at community newspapers in New Brunswick, Jason wore many hats as a reporter, editor, and photographer, covering everything from sports to courts to municipal politics. After shifting gears and working as an educator for a few years in the 2010s, Jason returned to full-time work in media as an MLB news editor for six years at theScore in Toronto before joining Covers in late 2021.

He has honed his editorial acumen over his years in the industry, showcasing flexibility, patience, and a strong work ethic. While he was relatively new to sports betting upon joining Covers, Jason has taken the plunge with gusto to learn the ins and outs of the industry, both as a method to improve professionally and to add an extra angle to his sports fandom.

In addition to sports, Jason is an avid film nut and former movie critic who monitors the Academy Awards betting odds for Covers. Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism degree and a Bachelor of Education degree from St. Thomas University.

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