Nolan Arenado’s NL MVP Odds Jump from 16-1 to 6-1 Following Torrid May
- Nolan Arenado has rejoined the favorites to win this season’s NL MVP award after hitting .425 with 29 RBI in the month of May
- Arenado continues to lag behind current favorite Cody Bellinger, who has emerged as a threat to challenge for a Triple Crown this season
- Reigning MVP Christian Yelich leads the majors in home runs, but will likely have to lead the Brewers back to the playoffs to outpace Bellinger
Nolan Arenado continued to swing a hot bat this past weekend, going 6-for-12 with a home run and a pair of doubles to power the Colorado Rockies to a three-game sweep of the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.
Arenado has been on fire since the beginning of May, racking up a lofty .425 batting average on the month to climb to second in the National League on the season at .345. The Rockies third baseman has been rewarded for his sizzling performance in the latest NL MVP odds, where he sits third at +600.
2019 National League MVP Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) | +200 |
| Christian Yelich (Brewers) | +500 |
| Nolan Arenado (Rockies) | +600 |
| Josh Bell (Pirates) | +900 |
| Javier Baez (Cubs) | +1000 |
| Bryce Harper (Phillies) | +1200 |
| Trevor Story (Rockies) | +1200 |
*Odds taken 06/03/19
Arenado Fueling Rockies’ Return to Postseason Contention
Pegged as a lengthy +1600 bet on the NL MVP odds as recently as May 2nd, the 28-year-old has played a major role in the Rockies’ return to postseason contention. Arenado leads the club in all major offensive statistical categories, and sits among the leaders in the NL with 16 home runs, 52 RBI, 16 doubles, and an eye-popping 1.032 OPS.
Nolan Arenado finished the month of May batting .425 (45-for-106) with nine doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 29 RBI.
His 45 hits in the month are tied for the sixth-most for a single month in franchise history, the most since Todd Helton had 50 hits in August of 2000.
— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) June 1, 2019
Big offensive numbers are nothing new for Arenado, who has topped 130 RBI on three occasions in his career, and averaged 39.5 long balls per season over the past four years. In addition, Arenado has enjoyed home cooking this season, hitting .400 in 29 appearances at Coors Field this season.
Negative Perceptions of Coors Field Work Against Arenado
However, the perception that Coors Field is a hitter’s park could negatively impact Arenado’s chances of laying claim to his first career NL MVP award. While Arenado has led the NL in home runs on three occasions, and in RBI twice, he has failed to finish better than third in NL MVP voting so far in his career.
Full 2018 NL MVP voting results.
For the #Braves:
Freddie Freeman – 4th
Ronald Acuña Jr. – 12th
Nick Markakis – 18th pic.twitter.com/A8mOSFiwHi— TheDSBaseball (@TheDSBaseball) November 16, 2018
Playing in the relative obscurity of Colorado, which has enjoyed little postseason success since reaching the World Series back in 2007, Arenado has regularly been overshadowed by rivals on teams in bigger markets and on teams enjoying greater playoff success, placing an added burden on him to lift the Rockies into World Series contention with unreasonably big statistical numbers.
Bellinger Emerging as Triple Crown Threat
Further complication the challenge for Arenado is the stunning turnaround this season by Cody Bellinger, who continues to lead the way on the odds to win the NL MVP award as a +200 favorite, just ahead of reigning MVP Christian Yelich at +500.
Bellinger currently leads all NL hitters with a gaudy .376 batting average, while sitting second with 20 home runs and 52 RBI.
After taking a statistical step back in his second Major League campaign last year, Bellinger has emerged as a Triple Crown threat this season. The Dodgers first baseman currently leads all NL hitters with a gaudy .376 batting average, while sitting second with 20 home runs and 52 RBI.
A triple crown candidate at the plate. Insane throws from the outfield.
Is the @Dodgers' @Cody_Bellinger the most dominant player in baseball right now?@ChrisRose | @KMillar15 pic.twitter.com/G7LG0kq5le
— Intentional Talk (@IntentionalTalk) May 28, 2019
The 23-year-old has been a model of consistency, going hitless in just six of his past 44 game appearances, and kept pace with Arenado with a .413 average in the month of May. With the Dodgers entering the week with an NL-leading 41-19 record, and joining the Houston Astros as +400 co-favorites on the World Series odds, Bellinger has enjoyed plenty of the limelight that can be key to any MVP bid.
Yelich Building on Last Season’s MVP Performance
Yelich has also continued to make headlines after powering the Milwaukee Brewers to the top of the NL Central last year with a run for the Triple Crown that came down to the final season. The 27-year-old leads the Majors with 22 home runs, and has added 49 RBI despite losing five games to injury a month ago, boosting the Brewers back atop the division standings with a 34-26 record, and to an attractive +750 wager to claim the NL pennant.
However, with the Dodgers already looking bound for the postseason with a seventh straight NL West divisional title, it will likely require a massive change in the narrative to keep Bellinger from marching towards NL MVP honors this season
Pick: Cody Bellinger (+200)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
