MLB betting: There's a new NL MVP favorite, and it's Bryce Harper

·NFL writer

20 September 2021 at 10:40 am·2-min read

While Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado were yelling at each other in the dugout, Tatis got passed in the National League MVP race.

Tatis has spent much of the season as the favorite to win MVP, but with two weeks left he has been knocked out of the top spot. At BetMGM, the new favorite to win NL MVP is Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper.

The Phillies have gotten back in the NL East race behind Harper's hot bat, and that's better than the fading San Diego Padres.

Bryce Harper leads NL MVP race

It's a two-team race for NL MVP, at least according to the BetMGM odds. Harper is -125. Tatis is +100. Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers is next on the list at +2000. Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto are next, each at 30-to-1.

Harper has been gaining in the race for a while. He was +1200 in early August and was a good bet then. The Phillies had an easy schedule in August and September, Harper was swinging a hot bat, he plays in a big market and he always gets a ton of attention.

Harper has continued to swing the bat well, taking the MLB lead in slugging percentage and OPS. It seems he hits a home run every day. On Sunday night, he made a great catch in right field to keep the Phillies alive in a game against the Mets. Earlier in the game, he scored a run with some great baserunning. He's doing it all.

Tatis is a great player and has had a fantastic season, but the Padres' highly publicized fade won't help him.

Bryce Harper has taken over as the NL MVP favorite. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) (Sarah Stier via Getty Images)

Fernando Tatis still in the mix

There's little question about AL MVP, at least if you trust the odds. Shohei Ohtani is -5000 to win MVP. That means a bettor would need to wager $5,000 on Ohtani to win $100.

The NL race tightened up with the Padres' collapse. They're 3.5 games out of the NL wild card race. Over the weekend, a dugout confrontation between Tatis and Machado got a lot of attention. San Diego is a mess. It's not like that's Tatis' fault — it's not like he's on the ragged pitching staff — but it'll be hard to put in an MVP vote for a player on a team that has been losing so much down the stretch.

If the Phillies win the NL East, it might be a wrap for Harper. They're two games behind the Atlanta Braves with 13 to play. The way Harper is playing, it would be hard to deny him.

According to the odds shift, it might be hard to deny him no matter where the Phillies finish.