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MLB best bets: Shohei Ohtani to win AL MVP and AL Cy Young?

By Jared Shlensky | Last updated 5/7/23

Is Shohei Ohtani the best player in baseball? We certainly think so, but not everyone does. But what you can't dispute is that he's the most valuable player in baseball. It's been that way for the last three years. Sorry, Aaron Judge, we're not so sure you should have won AL MVP last year, and you already know why — because Ohtani hits and pitches. We're not going to bore you with the Babe Ruth comparisons, but you get the point. Major League Baseball hasn't had a player like Ohtani since "The Bambino" and that alone makes Ohtani the frontrunner to win AL MVP every year.

But what about the AL Cy Young Award? Is this the year Ohtani wins his first Cy Young? Maybe. It's not like he'd be the first pitcher to win both. Justin Verlander was the last player to do it in the American League back in 2011, and Clayton Kershaw won both in the National League in 2014. But remember, Ohtani isn't just a pitcher, he's a two-way player. That gives him a huge advantage in the voting, and we're confident this is the year he comes out on top with both. We said it before the season started, and we're sticking to our guns.

And best of all, Caesars Sportsbook currently has a special going on Ohtani to win both the AL MVP and AL Cy Young. It's under the future bets/regular season special tab, with the odds currently listed at "yes" +650/"no" -1000. And with the line being that high, there's no reason not to wager at least some money on Ohtani to win both. After all, $50 wins you $325. Who wouldn't be happy with that?

But is it plausible for Ohtani to win both? Yes it is. We'll save you the headache and aggravation. It certainly is. Ohtani definitely has a much better chance at winning the AL MVP than the AL Cy Young, but with AL Cy Young favorite Gerrit Cole getting roughed up on Sunday and Ohtani 4-0 with a sub-2.00 ERA in his first seven starts, now is definitely the time to bet on Ohtani. No surprise here, but Ohtani is the consensus favorite to win AL MVP, with the odds ranging from -110 to +100. But to win the AL Cy Young, the line is closer toward 4/1, however, the only pitcher in the AL favored ahead of him is Cole, and rightfully so.

Ohtani had another big day at the plate on Sunday — 2-for-3 with two walks, a run and a RBI — and don't expect his offensive numbers to dip anytime soon. In fact, Ohtani has shown more patience at the plate this year than ever, and that's a good thing. Actually, it's a great thing. Ohtani has never been a big OBP/AVG guy, but don't be surprised if he finishes with a career-best on-base percentage and batting average in 2023. Eliminating the shift definitely has a lot to do with it, along with having a healthy Mike Trout in the lineup, but his approach at the plate has a ton to do with it too. Ohtani is on pace once again to finish with 30+ home runs, a .275 batting average, a .375 on-base percentage, a slugging percentage north .500 and an OPS right around .900, which makes him pretty much a lock to win AL MVP considering he's on pace to make another 20+ starts this year.

As for the AL Cy Young Award, that will be the harder of the two to win. First and foremost, Ohtani is at a disadvantage because he plays every day and then has to pitch every fourth, fifth or sixth day. That takes a toll on a person's body and no one can truly attest to that other than Ohtani. Secondly, he's not going to make as many starts as an everyday starter because he also hits and doesn't take the ball every fourth day like every other starter in baseball. And lastly, Ohtani tends to get wild from time-to-time, and that hurts him from going deep into games. The voters don't necessarily care about wins and strikeouts, they care about innings pitched ... and Ohtani is never going to lead the league in innings pitched.

Take his last two starts for instance. Ohtani struck out a career-high 13 batters against the Cardinals in his last start but lasted only five innings. Don't get us wrong, 13 strikeouts over five innings is amazing, but since 13 of his 15 outs were strikeouts, Ohtani really had to work to qualify for the win. Worst part was, he didn't get the win. He had to settle for a no-decision. The start before that, Ohtani hit three batters, walked two and gave up a season-high five runs. Yeah, he got the win, but he wasn't all that crisp. To be honest, he really didn't pitch all that well, and can thank his offense for picking him against a bad Oakland team in order to record the win. The point is Ohtani doesn't get all that many quick outs, and until he does, he's pretty much guaranteed to go no deeper than six innings unless the Angels allow him to consistently throw more than 100 pitches. Six innings is good, but it's not great. And in order to win a Cy Young, you have to be great.

However, if Ohtani does continue to strike out batters like he has and can reach the 20-win plateau, it'll be tough for voters to deny him the AL Cy Young. And even though Ohtani's best offensive season came back in 2021 when he won the AL MVP, he has gotten better each of the last two years he's pitched. And we're confident 2023 makes it three straight years. Ohtani's "stuff" alone makes him a threat to win the AL Cy Young Award each year. The question is can he consistently control his "stuff?" That has yet to be determined. But remember, if he does, there's no reason he can't win both the AL MVP and AL Cy Young. And that's why we encourage you to wager at least some money on Ohtani to win both.

The Bet: Yes, Shohei Ohtani to win AL MVP and AL Cy Young (+650 odds via Caesars Sportsbook)
Bet $50 to win $325.

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