- After reaching a season-high of -1600 odds earlier this month, Shohei Ohtani’s odds are falling.
- Ohtani has been dealing with a lingering blister issue on his pitching hand. He was held out of the All-Star Game as a pitcher, but remains in the Los Angeles Angels’ rotation.
- This could be the final week that Ohtani is a member of the Angels. Trade rumors are ramping up with the deadline approaching on August 1.
Entering this month, Shohei Ohtani was running away with the MVP in the American League. On July 3, Ohtani had -1600 odds to win the AL MVP award. However, Ohtani’s odds have fallen to -800 in recent days at BetUS.
The two-way superstar still maintains a sizable lead over Texas’ Corey Seager in the AL MVP betting markets. As of Sunday, July 23, Seager has +1500 odds to win the AL MVP. Seager has been blistering hot, which has allowed his odds to improve considerably.
That being said, a blister injury has been the main culprit in Ohtani’s MLB MVP odds being cut in half over the last few weeks. While Ohtani played as a hitter in the 2023 All-Star Game, he did not pitch.
Ohtani was slated to be the first or second pitcher in the American League’s rotation. Instead, the New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole received opening honors on the mound for the Midsummer Classic in Seattle.
A day after Ohtani’s AL MVP odds peaked at -1600, he left the mound early in a start against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani noted that it was difficult to put full pressure on his finger while pitching. Since then, the Japanese superstar’s AL MVP odds have been in a freefall.
Ohtani’s Pitching Numbers Faltering In July
Remaining healthy enough to play a full season as a pitcher and hitter is the only complaint with Ohtani. In his first three seasons in Major League Baseball, Ohtani was inconsistent on the mound because of injuries.
Last season, Ohtani set a career-high with 28 starts in a season. He finished with an ERA of 2.11 and a 1.01 WHIP across 166 innings. It was an MVP-worthy campaign, but Aaron Judge took the AL MVP, while Justin Verlander was crowned the 2022 AL Cy Young winner.
Following a full season on the mound, Ohtani had a clean bill of health in the first half. At least, for 95% of the first half until the beginning of July. Since Ohtani left against the Padres, he has not been able to overcome the problematic blister on his pitching hand.
In 16.1 innings of work this month, Ohtani has posted an ERA of 7.71 and a 1.12 WHIP. He has managed to keep runners off the bases, but ran into issues with the long ball. Ohtani gave up six home runs in the 16.1 innings, including four long balls to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 21.
Henry's second of the night! pic.twitter.com/fhkskDUDiQ
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 22, 2023
This was after Ohtani left his July 15 start early against the Houston Astros. Ohtani was tagged for four earned runs before leaving the contest, which ultimately went to the Astros in a 7-5 final. Despite leaving that performance early, Ohtani hung in there and pitched seven innings against the Pirates.
On June 27, Ohtani owned an ERA of 3.17. That number ballooned to a 3.71 ERA over his next three starts in July. He started running into problems as soon as the blister appeared. It is clearly bothering him, and his AL Cy Young odds have fallen off the board as a result.
Offensive Production Steady For Ohtani
In 2023, Ohtani is hitting .302 with 36 home runs and 77 RBIs. Additionally, he has swiped 11 bases and crossed the plate 75 times this season. He has added 6 home runs and 10 RBIs to his portfolio in July, so Ohtani’s MVP odds’ slide is not because of his effort at the plate.
On Sunday, Ohtani had a stellar performance offensively. He sent a solo bomb over the fence in a 7-5 victory versus the Pirates. The 29-year-old finished the afternoon with a home run and 2 runs.
His offensive numbers have held steady since the start of the month. However, the Rangers’ Seager has been scorching hot. Seager is hitting .350 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 163 at-bats going into this week. Coupled with Ohtani’s command issues on the mound, Seager has put a small dent into his lead in the AL MVP race.
This could be Ohtani’s final game at Angel Stadium. The MLB Trade Deadline is scheduled for August 1, and Ohtani could be on the move. The Angels are listening to offers, but we will have to wait and see if anything materializes.
Stop us if you've heard this before: Shohei Ohtani has homered. pic.twitter.com/A2KLKXE54C
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2023
Ohtani Trade Rumors Grow Louder
As we draw closer to the MLB Trade Deadline, the Ohtani rumors will continue to run rampant. Whether anything is true or not, there will be MLB insiders dishing out wild rumors regarding Ohtani’s future.
The most accurate barometer to gauge what is happening with Ohtani is looking at the MLB Trade Deadline odds. Currently, Ohtani is expected to remain with the Angels, but it is not overwhelming odds by any means.
The most likely scenario is that Ohtani will remain with the Angels following August 1. He has -170 odds to remain in Anaheim. The Dodgers have the second-best odds at +800, but last week, there were reports that the Angels would not entertain their offers.
“Would they trade him to the Dodgers? No. I spoke to somebody with the Dodgers, they realize he’s not getting traded to the Dodgers. Even if you think he could sign long-term with the Dodgers, Arte Moreno is not going to do that,” said Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
In any event, oddsmakers are not listening to Heyman, as the Dodgers have the second-best odds. Following the Dodgers are the Giants at +900 odds.
