The World Series is perhaps the most prestigious championship in all of sports. It’s certainly one of the very oldest and the season that leads up to it is the very longest. Winning the World Series is a big deal and players can make their whole careers off of winning one.
For the MVP, that is especially true. The list of World Series MVP winners is an exclusive club and there is something special about winning one. Only three players have won the MVP twice and no one has repeated since Reggie Jackson in 1977. So, of course this is something that you can bet on.
In today’s article we’re going to talk about betting the World Series MVP. Where to bet on it, how to bet on it and our own strategy for picking a winner. Let’s get into it.
Where To Bet the World Series MVP:
America: Bovada is one of the best sportsbooks on the internet for betting on baseball and they have you covered when it comes to futures and props like betting on the World Series MVP. This is the place for betting World Series MVP and all the other World Series props you could imagine including the exact series finish.
Canada: Sports Interaction always has great odds on baseball throughout the season and they have you covered during the playoffs as well. The World Series MVP is one of many props that they offer during the World Series and they also offer a ton of other MLB props.
Everywhere Else: One of the top sportsbooks on the internet and one of the best places for MLB futures and props is 888. They offer World Series MVP betting options and a ton of props throughout the playoffs including championship futures.
What are World Series MVP Bets?
Before the World Series, sportsbooks will put out a list of odds pertaining to who will win the MVP in the World Series. These odds will encompass just about every major player on both teams with varying odds. For instance, the best player on one team might be -120 or something similarly low stakes. While more of a role player might be +1000 or more.
The World Series MVP is awarded by a committee of reporters and officials that are present during the World Series.
Common World Series MVP Questions:
Pitchers or hitters?
The eternal question.
In the past twenty years, there have been six pitchers and 15 hitters to win this award. (In 2001, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling were co-MVPs.) So while hitters are probably the better bet, pitchers do win quite a bit as well.
Is the MVP or Cy Young winner more likely to win this award?
If they are playing in the series on the winning team, sure. They are a solid bet as 11 times a player has won both in the same season.
The only players to have won an MVP award and the World Series MVP in the same year are Sandy Koufax, Frank Robinson, Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell, and Mike Schmidt.
While six players who won the Cy Young Award went on to be named the World Series MVP. Those men are Bob Turley, Whitey Ford, Koufax, Bret Saberhagen, Orel Hershiser, and Randy Johnson.
Are there any multiple time World Series MVP winners?
There have been three repeat winners in World Series MVP history, but no one has ever done it in back-to-back years. The winners of these awards were:
Sandy Koufax who won the award in 1963 and 1965, Bob Gibson who won the award in 1964 and 1967, and Reggie Jackson who won the award in 1973 and 1977. Reggie Jackson is the only player to have done it with two different teams as he won the first one as a member of the Oakland Athletics and the second as a New York Yankee. His outstanding playoff performances earned him the nickname, Mr. October.
How To Bet World Series MVP:
The World Series MVP odds typically come out in the last couple of days before the World Series begins and then are adjusted during the series. You can find them by going to the baseball section of these books:
Bovada: From MLB go to MLB Futures or World Series futures to find the World Series MVP odds. You can always search for it as well if you are having difficulty.
Sports Interaction: From the MLB section you will be able to click “MLB Props” or “MLB Futures” to find the World Series MVP Odds.
World Series MVP Betting Strategy:
I find that the World Series MVP is rarely a superstar so it’s best to look for value when betting this.
In the past ten years, we’ve seen names like Hideki Matsui, David Freese, Salvador Perez and Ben Zobrist. These are mostly guys hitting fifth or lower in the order.
I think this is because teams generally come prepared for the superstars in these series and choose not to let them beat them. I like to focus on some good, but not great baseball players and try to get value. Of course, it’s important to pick a guy from the winning team as well.
A great bet to do if you can find it is when there is a superstar versus “the field”. So if the Yankees are in the World Series, they might have Aaron Judge MVP odds or “the field” which means you can bet on anyone but Judge winning the award. If the odds are right, this can be a great bet.