Astros Trio Among Top 10 AL MVP Contenders; Bregman Has Shortest Odds

• Alex Bregman is among the favorites to win the AL MVP after leading the Astros in HR and RBI in 2018
• Jose Altuve is offering the best value after being hobbled by injury last season
• Reigning MVP Mookie Betts is likely to remain among the leading contenders throughout 2019

As the countdown continues toward opening day of the 2019 MLB season, the Houston Astros enjoy strong representation on the odds to win the 2019 American League MVP award. A trio of Astros players sit among the top 10, led by third baseman Alex Bregman at +900.

2019 American League MVP Odds

Bregman’s Breakthrough Season Led Astros to 2nd Straight AL West Title

Bregman played a crucial role in Houston’s march to a second straight AL West divisional crown last season. The 24-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, leading the club in most major offensive categories with 31 home runs and 103 RBI, while also garnering honors as a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at the hot corner.

Astros' Alex Bregman undergoes elbow surgeryhttps://t.co/w5FbiqJsJk

— Chronicle Sports (@ChronSports) January 11, 2019

The emergence of the two-time All-American proved timely for the Astros, who struggled with injuries, most notably to Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. However, Bregamn has not been immune to the injury bug so far in 2019, undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow just prior to spring training, and struggling with back stiffness since arriving at camp.

Correa a Risky Pick Following Consecutive Injury-Plagued Campaigns

Honored as the AL Rookie of the Year in 2015, Correa took a major step back last season while struggling with a back injury that limited him to just 110 games. The four-year veteran reportedly returns to action with a clean bill of health, but after missing over 50 games in each of the past two seasons, he should be viewed with caution as a +1600 wager to claim AL MVP honors.

Astros’ Carlos Correa learns the hard way that easy does it https://t.co/hyr2q2Z1gh

— Laura Goldberg (@LauraGoldbergHC) February 17, 2019

Altuve Offering the Most Value on the AL MVP Odds

Altuve looked poised to repeat as AL MVP early on last season, closing out the month of June with 41 RBI and a .354 batting average, but saw his production limited down the stretch by an injury that put him on the shelf for 21 games in July and August.

Altuve has been a model of consistency in recent years, hitting .338 or better in three of the past five years.

Despite last year’s injury woes, Altuve has been a model of consistency in recent years, hitting .338 or better in three of the past five years, and still managed to put up a .316 average in 2018.

Extra Innings: Astros' Jose Altuve must prove people wrong every year https://t.co/0rHhoAQKBy

— J.B. Watson, Jr., Ph.D. (@GWashingtonInde) February 19, 2019

Concerns linger after the 30-year-old underwent knee surgery in October, and Altuve has enjoyed a light workload so far at Spring Training.

However, it is impossible to ignore the upside of the Astros second baseman, who still managed to finish ninth in AL MVP voting last season, and currently sports the best value available on the AL MVP futures as a +2000 bet.

Altuve faces stiff competition at the top of the 2019 AL MVP odds, most notably from reigning MVP Mookie Betts, who trails only perennial favorite Mike Trout at +600.

Hard to Ignore Betts’ Following Historic 2018 Campaign

Betts was a catalyst in Boston’s march to their best regular-season record in franchise history and second World Series title in six years. The 26-year-old outfielder led the AL with a .346 batting average, and claimed Silver Slugger and Gold Glove honors, while also joining Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians as the first two players to join MLB’s exclusive 30/30 club since 2012.

Who is the best all around athlete in the world right now? This article argues that it might just be Mookie Betts…#ChiefElitehttps://t.co/PBOMfmFHuK

— Chief Elite Training (@chief_elite) March 7, 2019

With Betts entering the 2019 MLB campaign with a freshly signed one-year, $20 million contract, and the Red Sox pegged as strong contenders to repeat as World Series champions, motivation should not be a problem. Expect Betts to remain in the AL MVP conversation throughout the season.