⚾ WBC MVP Odds & Predictions: Ohtani is Favorite After Pool Play
Pool play at the World Baseball Classic has come to an end, leaving only eight teams remaining in the tournament. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge sit atop a pack of superstars as the WBC MVP odds favorites.
Judge's USA barely escaped pool play, requiring a Italy win on the final day to enter the knockout phase. However, his team is still the favorite to win it all, and Judge is trading as the second-biggest favorite to take home MVP honors.
Ahead of him, though, is Ohtani, who's Japan team is the third-biggest favorite to win the tournament.
Will the MVP be one of the favorites? Or can a dark horse emerge? Let's dive in as part of our World Baseball Classic expert picks.
🏆 Who will be named WBC MVP?
Judge and Ohtani are the only two players with odds shorter than +1000 at DraftKings.
As mentioned, USA is the favorite and Japan is the third-biggest favorite by the latest World Baseball Classic odds.
Behind those two are a pair of Dominican Republic stars, as Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis are both trading at +1400, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. isn't far behind at +1800.
Of the top 10 at DraftKings, only one player is from Japan (Ohtani), four are from USA (Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Kyle Schwarber, and Paul Skenes), four are from the Dominican Republic (Tatis, Soto, Guerrero, and Junior Caminero), and one is from Venezuela (Ronald Acuna Jr.).
📊 WBC MVP odds
WBC MVP odds via DraftKings
| Player | Odds | Implied probability | Profit on $10 bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | +550 | 15.58% | $55 |
| Aaron Judge | +600 | 14.29% | $60 |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | +1400 | 6.67% | $140 |
| Juan Soto | +1400 | 6.67% | $140 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | +1800 | 5.26% | $180 |
| Junior Caminero | +1800 | 5.26% | $180 |
| Kyle Schwarber | +2000 | 4.76% | $200 |
| Paul Skenes | +2500 | 3.85% | $250 |
| Ronald Acuna Jr. | +2800 | 3.45% | $280 |
🥇 WBC MVP prediction
Sure, Ohtani excelling as both a hitter and pitcher is always a cheat code, with the latter skill propping him up that much further in any MVP race. He was +1100 to win this award before the tournament and is now the favorite at +550. Japan is trading at odds as long as +450 to win the WBC, so if you missed out on that +1100 price, you may be better off betting on the team to win the WBC at this point.
Here's what he did on the same WBC stage in 2023 while being named MVP.
Shohei Ohtani's 2023 WBC stats
| Games | Home runs | Average | RBIs | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | .435 | 8 | 1.345 |
WBC MVP best bet: Shohei Ohtani to win WBC MVP (+1100 via BetMGM)
👀 WBC MVP long shot
Please also recall what Ohtani's teammate both in the WBC and on the Los Angeles Dodgers did during the World Series.
That's when Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed just two earned runs across 17 2/3 innings while striking out 15 batters and giving up a measly 12 baserunners. That led to an easy decision to name him the World Series MVP, and he later finished third in Cy Young odds voting after posting a 2.49 ERA (second-best in the NL).
Of course, there's a difference between the midseason form of any pitcher and what we may see here in March when they're not fully stretched out. But any fear regarding that is more than baked into these lengthy odds, as is also the case with workload concerns.
WBC MVP long shot bet: Yoshinobu Yamamoto to win WBC MVP (+3000 via BetMGM)
📈 WBC MVP betting insights
Here are some betting insights into the WBC MVP market just prior to the tournament beginning, with the action coming from BetMGM.
| Highest ticket % | Highest handle % |
|---|---|
| 1. Bobby Witt Jr. (23.8%) | 1. Bobby Witt Jr. (26%) |
| 2. Juan Soto (10.5%) | 2. Cristopher Sanchez (12.8%) |
| 3. Shohei Ohtani (8.6%) | 3. Juan Soto (11.5%) |
| 4. Roman Anthony (7.6%) | 4. Roman Anthony (9.9%) |
| 5. Aaron Judge (6.7%) | 5. Aaron Judge (5.7%) |
📜 Past WBC MVP winners
There still isn't a ton of tournament history to look back on and draw anything from, as only the sixth edition is about to start.
But it's still clear that even amid light workloads in mid March and shorter appearances, pitchers can rise to the top of this tourney fast if they shine brightly during their limited time.
| MVP | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | DH/RHP | 2023 |
| Marcus Stroman | RHP | 2017 |
| Robinson Cano | 2B | 2013 |
| Daisuke Matsuzaka | RHP | 2009 |
| Daisuke Matsuzaka | RHP | 2006 |
💰 WBC MVP best bets
Looking for more WBC picks? Head over to our WBC AI predictions 2026.
| Best bet | Odds (via BetMGM) |
|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani to win WBC MVP | +1100 |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto to win WBC MVP | +3000 |
Sportsbook Review's Andrew Brennan is riding with Bobby Witt Jr. to win the 2026 WBC MVP.
❓ WBC MVP FAQs
Who is the favorite to be named the WBC MVP?
Shohei Ohtani is the favorite to win WBC MVP at +550 odds at DraftKings.
Who was the last WBC MVP?
Shohei Ohtani was named the MVP of the last tournament in 2023.
When is the WBC?
The 2026 WBC runs from March 4 to March 17.
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