1 surprising player listed among betting favorites to win NL MVP in 2023

Oct 26, 2021; Houston, TX, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred before game one of the 2021 World Series between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

MLB oddsmakers can envision one big-time comeback next season.

Online sportsbook SportsBetting.ag released odds on Thursday for Major League Baseball’s top honors in the 2023 campaign. Perhaps the most surprising development came in the NL MVP category. There, embattled San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was given the third-best chances to win (at 9-1 odds). Only reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt (8-1) and Padres teammate Juan Soto (5-1) were given better odds. Tatis was even listed over players like Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves.

The 24-year-old Tatis has talent on talent, making the All-Star team in 2021 and also leading the NL in home runs that season. But no one knows what Tatis will look like in 2023 after he missed all of last season in part due to injuries suffered in a controversial offseason motorcycle accident. Then in August, Tatis was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid (and went on to give a bizarre explanation for doing so).

Tatis still has 21 games left of that suspension to serve in the 2023 season and will return to a much different Padres team than the one he last played for (with major additions like Soto and Xander Bogaerts to now work with). Most people are done giving Tatis the benefit of the doubt, especially with it not even being clear what position he will play now. But Tatis still has an ally here in sports oddsmakers.