The defending AL MVP is already making noise in the 2022 campaign, leading the way in the AL once again as the odds on favorite to repeat as the award winner.

It’s hard to quantify what exactly it means to be a two-way star in the MLB, but Shohei Ohtani is certainly playing above expectations on both the mound and at the plate. While haven’t seen the elite bat come into play just yet, with only three home runs and an OPS of .645 on the year, he has pitched just over 14 innings on the mound to the tune of an ERA of 4.40.

It’s been a slow start to the year in some capacity for Ohtani, but the same can’t be said for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The runner-up for the AL MVP last season has already hit five home runs and has an OPS of .994 on the year, which shows he hasn’t missed a beat early on this year, as the Blue Jays boast a record of 12-6.

Ohtani currently leads the pack on the FanDuel Sportsbook at +280, which is followed by Guerrero Jr. at +410. With the slow start to the year for Ohtani, you can certainly make a case for buying what Guerrero Jr. is currently selling at that price.

Mike Trout is seemingly forgotten about in these big awards races but he’s already hit five home runs and carries an OPS of 1.233, which shows how phenomenal he’s been early on this season. Trout currently owns odds of +700 to win the award and that might be a price you want to look at with how hot he’s been to start the season.

Rounding out the top five in terms of odds to win the award are Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins at +1500. Ramirez has posted an OPS of 1.067 through 64 at-bats on the year, while Buxton has hit six home runs and falls just behind Trout in terms of OPS at 1.231.

Wander Franco sits just behind the top five and has an OPS of .999 to start his sophomore campaign and it’s completely possible he continues to put up dynamite numbers for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Looking at some other names in the top ten that may be worth investing in, you can also consider Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox, who owns odds of +2500, but hasn’t gotten off to a good start to the season. With that being said, he had a .890 OPS last season and hit 38 home runs, so he could be someone worth monitoring as his stock is likely to rise throughout the year.

NL MVP Top 10 (FanDuel Sportsbook):