3. Yordan Alvarez (+1400) - Houston Astros
An oblique injury may have cost Yordan Alvarez another top-three finish in MVP voting last year, but he's back with something to prove again in 2024. He's worth the investment for bettors looking to back a hard-hitting dark horse MVP candidate.
In 2022, Alvarez finished third in MVP voting. That year, the Astros slugger put together a sterling 1.019 OPS with 97 RBI, 97 runs, and 37 homers. Subsequently, Alvarez nearly matched all of those totals in 2023. He totaled 97 RBI again, with 77 runs and 31 home runs, albeit in 21 fewer games. Consequently, he finished a distant 13th in MVP consideration.
Alvarez is back to his usual antics early in 2024. So far this season, he's posted an elite .996 OPS, with 12 RBI, 11 runs, and four long fly balls. If he maintains this pace, that puts him on track for 122 RBI, 111 runs, and 41 homers, all of which would be career-bests. Arguably, Alvarez represents the best value on the board.
