The 2022 World Series kicks off on Friday night in Houston, but before we do a deep dive into the series odds, let’s look at the World Series MVP market.
Oddsmakers have installed Yordan Alvarez (+600) and Bryce Harper (+700) as the two favorites to win the award, but just because a player is hot entering the Fall Classic doesn’t mean they will take it home. What you did before the World Series is not supposed to factor into the voting for this award, but it definitely won’t hurt a player’s case if they’ve put together monster performances in October. In reality, the bar for players like Harper, Alvarez, and Alex Bregman to win MVP is probably lower than it would be for someone like Nick Castellanos because the latter has not made headlines yet.
But in the end, winning World Series MVP is all about getting hot at the right time. Over the past 12 we’ve seen players like Jorge Soler, Steve Pearce and Edgar Renteria get named Most Valuable Player in the Fall Classic on the strength of incredible performances in a short sample. That’s why it makes sense to consider a couple of players at big prices further down the board.
Here is one long shot for each team:
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2022 World Series MVP odds and picks
Yuli Gurriel, Houston Astros (+3000, BetMGM)
In a lineup that features Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve, it’s easy to overlook Yuli Gurriel, who admittedly had a down 2022 season. But those struggles seem to be firmly in the rear-view mirror as the Cuban first baseman leads the Astros with a .367 batting average and 11 hits in the postseason. Gurriel has also shown some power with two home runs and a pair of doubles, with three RBIs and three runs scored.
Gurriel’s ability to get on base and put the bat on the ball makes him a great candidate to provide a big moment in a playoff series, so he’s absolutely worth consideration at this number.
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Nick Castellanos, Philadelphia Phillies (+4000, BetMGM)
It has been a really tough first season for Nick Castellanos in Philadelphia, but he can completely flip the script by finding his form in the World Series.
And even though the 30-year-old’s .220/.273/.293 slash line through 11 postseason games is not all that encouraging, three of his nine hits in the playoffs have gone for extra bases, and he’s got five runs scored and six RBIs in his account this October’s not like he’s been completely invisible.
Castellanos’ poor season may be considered a negative when it comes to betting him to win this award. Still, you could also flip that script and look at it this way: If Castellanos was in even average form entering this series, his odds would be much, much shorter. This is a strong buy-low opportunity.