Every American League Team's Top MVP Candidate at the All-Star Break
By Reed Wallach
The American League MVP race is set to be one of the most memorable in sometime.
The MLB's best team through the first half, the New York Yankees, have a formidable MVP candidate in Aaron Judge. However, arguably the most disappointing club, the Los Angeles Angles have the most worthy player in Shohei Ohtani. What about all the teams in between?
Here is each MLB team's MVP through the first half of the season.
1. Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins (+50000)
One of the best stories in 2022, the Baltimore Orioles are starting to show some promise. The team had a 10-game winning streak just before the break and have received contributions from a ton of their young players.
However, Mullins gets the nod as team MVP, hitting .256 with 19 stolen bases, driving in 36 runs.
2. Boston Red Sox: Rafael Devers (+2300)
One of the best young hitters in the sport, Devers has been the dominant bat in the Red Sox lineup, leading the American League in offensive WAR and hits. He is hitting .324, second best in the league but also has showcased a ton of power, smacking 22 home runs, sixth in the AL.
3. Chicago White Sox: Jose Abreu (+25000)
The White Sox haven't been as great as expectations, but not because of Abreu's play.
The first baseman is posting slashes of .304/.387/.470 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI's. He has a team high WAR and has helped keep the team in striking distance in the AL Central, sitting three games back of the Twins.
4. Cleveland Guardians: Jose Ramirez (+4000)
Ramirez has been outstanding for Cleveland this season, posting one of the most complete stat lines in baseball in 2022.
He leads the big leagues in RBI's (75) and doubles (30) and is hitting .288 on the year with 19 home runs. He is top 10 in most major hitting categories and has been the engine behind the Guardians wild card push.
5. Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera (N/A)
Not much has gone right for the Tigers, 37-55 in what was supposed to be a competitive season from the club, so we'll appreciate Miggy.
In his age 39 season, Cabrera is hitting .287 with 34 runs batted in.
6. Houston Astros: Yordan Alvarez (+1300)
Maybe the best hitter in baseball this season, Alvarez has been putting up video game like numbers.
He is slashing .306/.653/1.058, the ladder two being MLB high's. He has hit 26 home runs and driven in 60 runs for the AL's second best team. To me, he has a more complete profile than Aaron Judge, who is the second choice to win the MVP at the moment.
7. Kansas City Royals: Andrew Beintendi (N/A)
No, Beintendi won't receive many if any postseason recognition, so I'll take a moment to appreciate him. The former Red Sox outfielder is hitting very well for the Royals, leading the team in WAR and has a batting average of .317, the third best mark in the AL. He has only hit three home runs but has still driven in 37 runs for a pretty poor offense.
8. Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani (-105)
The MVP favorite gets his love here. The two-way superstar has been outstanding on both sides of the field, leading all American League players in WAR.
He has been an All-Star as a hitter and a pitcher. He is hitting .258 with 19 homers and 56 RBI's but is also posting a 2.38 ERA while striking out more than 12 batters per 9 innings.
The team has floundered, but not without another historic season from Ohtani.
9. Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton (+10000)
Buxton may be struggling to make solid contact, but he has been a game breaking bat in the middle of the Twins lineup that is first in the AL Central.
Yes, he is hitting .216, but has cracked 23 home runs and 43 RBI's.
10. New York Yankees: Aaron Judge (+130)
The MLB leader in home runs has dominated this season, propelling the Yankees to the best record in baseball at the All-Star break at 64-28.
He has 33 home runs while driving in 70 runs to the tune of a .284 batting average. Judge has also been a plus in the field and has the team thinking about an AL Pennant halfway through the year.
11. Oakland Athletics: Paul Blackburn (N/A)
Not much going on for the worst team in the American League, but shoutout Paul Blackburn, a first time All-Star selection and mainstay of the A's rotation, posting a team high WAR of 2.1 this season. He has an ERA of 3.62 and HWIP of 1.20 while allowing just nine home runs in 97 innings.
12. Seattle Mariners: Julio Rodriguez (+15000)
The runaway AL Rookie of the Year favorite (-350), Rodriguez has helped propel the Mariners to playoff contention and a 14 game winning streak into the break.
J-Rod is hitting .275 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI's, getting the nod to the All-Star Game and even receiving some honorable mentions in AL MVP conversations.
He's sixth in the AL in WAR for position players, trailing behind only Judge, Devers, Alvarez, Ramirez and Mike Trout.
13. Tampa Bay Rays: Shane McClanahan (+20000)
The AL Cy Young favorite (+210) has been outstanding in his second full season in the majors. He has an MLB best 1.71 ERA while posting the best WHIP (.0795) and an incredible strikeout to walk ratio of 7.74.
14. Texas Rangers: Corey Seager (+25000)
The Rangers haven't lived up to their price offseason full of big name signings, but Seager has on his own. He has crushed 22 home runs and driving in 52 runs.
15. Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+6000)
Guerrero's bat has kept the Blue Jays in the playoff race. He is hitting .271 with 20 home runs and 57 RBI's.
While he's not hunting for the triple crown like last season, Guerrero is still producing at a high clip, tied for the team lead in WAR with George Springer.
Follow Reed's betting plays in real-time HERE!