Shohei Ohtani has won the MVP award four times (twice in the AL and twice in the NL).
He's taken home the award in three straight seasons and would join just Barry Bonds as the only players in MLB history to win four MVPs in a row, and five or more in total.
The two-way superstar is perhaps the most talented player in the sport's history - he's currently a top-two hitter in the sport and can go toe-to-toe with the best pitchers in the league as well.
The scary thing about Ohtani's game is that he looks to be getting even better. He's hit 54+ home runs in each of the last two seasons after falling short of the 50-home run mark in his previous six years in the league.
His arm is also healthy, and after recording just 14 starts over the course of the last two seasons, it seems like he'll be ready to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers when the season starts on March 26.
Will anyone be able to knock off the Ohtani's reign? Here's a look a the top-ten favorites to win NL MVP in 2026 on bet365:
2026 NL MVP Odds - Pre-Season
Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) | -130 |
Juan Soto (New York Mets) | +700 |
Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves) | +1200 |
Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres) | +1600 |
Francisco Lindor (New York Mets) | +1800 |
Alex Bregman (Chicago Cubs) | +2000 |
Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) | +2500 |
Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati Reds) | +2800 |
Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks) | +2800 |
Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies) | +3000 |
The New York Mets' Juan Soto (+700) is the clearest threat to Ohtani this season in the oddsmakers eyes, and rightfully so.
Soto is extremely difficult to keep off the basepaths - he's led the league in walks four times in his career and typically finishes the season with more walks than strikeouts.
When he does swing, hard hit balls are sprayed to any part of the field, and he certainly has the power to hit homers in all directions.
Soto started the season slowly with his new team last year, but he finished on an absolute heater, ending the season with 43 home runs and a 160 OPS+. Oh, he also stole an NL-leading 38 bags last year which was very unexpected.
Ronald Acuna Jr. (+1200) looks like he's completely healthy to begin the season - let's hope that continues throughout the year.
One of the most entertaining players in baseball has missed at least 40 games in four of the last five seasons, but when he's on the field he's one of the best players in baseball.
His 2023 MVP year was incredible - he hit 41 home runs, batted for a .337 average, and stole 73 bases. If he replicates that season, he would certainly have the chance to knock Ohtani off his throne.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (+1600) hasn't looked like the same player that he was before his PED suspension - he hasn't hit more than 25 homers in a season since 2021 - but there's no doubt he still has all the talent in the world to make a run for MVP.
Francisco Lindor (+1800) keeps improving year-after-year with the Mets, and he made his first All-Star game since 2019 last season.
He's a true five-tool player who can hit homers, steal bags, get on base, and play terrific defense at one of the most valuable positions on the field - shortstop.
He's put together three straight seasons of hitting 31+ homers, and he'll probably have to reach the 40-home run mark for the first time in his career to challenge Ohtani.
Alex Bregman (+2000) is a newcomer to the NL after spending the first 10 seasons of his career with the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.
The newest Chicago Cub was putting together his best hitting season since before 2020 until he was injured and had to miss about 50 games.
Bregman finished as the runner-up in the AL MVP voting in 2019 when he had 41 homers and finished with an OPS of 1.015.
Bryce Harper (+2500), Ketel Marte (+2800), and Kyle Schwarber (+2000) are all veterans who have either been named MVP before or have finished very close to it.
Each of these players will have to stay healthy throughout the course of the season, and all could certainly hit 40+ homers to make a run for the award.
The Reds' phenom Elly De La Cruz (+2800) has tons of potential and had a stretch of the season last year where it looked like he was putting it all together, but he didn't end the season very well.
Still just 24-years-old, De La Cruz will need to significantly improve his fielding and become more consistent with his bat-to-ball skills to have a chance for NL MVP.
Find the rest of the hitters on bet365's sportsbook under MLB -> Futures -> Regular Season Awards.
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All odds featured in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
