Odds & Picks For 2023 MLB Awards

2023 MLB Awards: Odds And Picks

The 2023 baseball season is almost here, and all year long we will be pondering who is going to win several prominent awards such as MVP or Cy Young at the end of the season. In this article, we will give out our best bets in the hopes of accurately predicting the individual accolades.

AL MVP

Matt Horner: Mike Trout +650. Trout is still the best player in baseball, and he's third on the oddsboard to win the MVP award. It makes it harder for him since he has Ohtani on his team now, but the injury risk Ohtani faces is far higher player two positions. Trout can easily win this award if his teammate has a down season, at either position. I'm also fading Aaron Judge big time next season.

Dan Karpuc: Shohei Ohtani +200. I know it's a wild idea to grab +200 odds on an MVP winner before the season starts, but Ohtani has the potential to be one of the top five pitchers in the American League while also hitting 30 homers, driving in 100 runs and stealing 30 bases as a hitter. He should have won this award last year and he's the best two-way player the game has ever seen. He will prove that once again this season.

NL MVP

Matt Horner: Ronald Acuna Jr. +1000. The NL side of things is far more crowded, but I'll roll with Ronald Acuna to take home the MVP award. After several injuries, he's taken a backseat over the last season or so, and now he's back and fully healthy. Before his injuries, he was one of the biggest stories in baseball and an offensive juggernaut. I think this could be his year.

Dan Karpuc: Trea Turner +1200. Philly's new shortstop should benefit from the larger bases that will be utilized this season. Stealing will be much easier and he has legitimate 60-steal upside at the top of the Phillies lineup. If he hits around .300, as an OBP around .400 and can display some power en route to a playoff berth, he can put up some numbers that won't be matched by anyone else in the NL.

AL Cy Young

Matt Horner: Jacob deGrom +650. Lots of chalk here, but after what would be considered a "down year" for deGrom in 2022, I think he comes back for his new team and proves that he is still the best pitcher in baseball. The team around him is also very solid defensively, and Texas has spent a lot of money improving the roster, while has allowed some former starters to go into the bullpen.

Dan Karpuc: Shane McClanahan +1200. A lot of people are touting Rays starter Tyler Glasnow as a candidate to win this award, but don't sleep on McClanahan. In 28 starts last year, the talented Rays lefty went 12-8 with a 2.54 ERA and in 166.1 innings pitched, he struck out 194, only walked 38 and allowed 116 hits (0.93 WHIP). I'm very high on the 25-year-old southpaw this season and think it's disrespectful that he's not higher up on the board to start the year.

Dan Karpuc (Bonus Pick): Framber Valdez +2000. Valdez went 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 31 starts last season, but it's his MLB-high 29 quality starts that was the most impressive of his numbers. With a powerful offense and strong bullpen behind him, he should be able to rack up plenty of wins and if he's similarly consistent, he should be in the running to win this award.

NL Cy Young

Matt Horner: Spencer Strider +1100. I think Strider makes a huge stride this season and captures the NL Cy Young award. His upside is undeniable as a rookie, ending up with a 2.67 ERA and 202 strikeouts over just 131.2 innings. That's better than Randy Johnson's rate in his 2001 campaign. If he is able to pitch a full season at that clip, he would pitch 200 innings and have 300 strikeouts, which would make it extremely difficult not to hand him the Cy Young award with those types of numbers. He also pitches quickly, which gives him a competitive advantage over other pitchers that will have to adjust to the new rules.

Dan Karpuc: Zac Gallen +1600. Zac Gallen (12-4, 2.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP in 184.0 IP over 31 starts) quietly had a phenomenal campaign last season which included one of the most historic scoreless start (and inning) streaks in MLB history. He doesn't play in a sexy market, but he opened eyes with his consistency last year. He held opposing offenses to two or fewer earned runs in 23 of 31 starts and had 19 quality starts on the year. I'll take a shot on him.