Jul 12, 2021; Denver, CO, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Juan Soto greets Los Angeles Angels designated hitter/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani during the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

mlb

Bold MVP prediction puts Juan Soto ahead of Shohei Ohtani, denies Aaron Judge AL top spot

Reasonable to call this poll a rage bait?

MLB.com’s latest MVP poll has sparked plenty of debate, with Juan Soto leading the National League race over Shohei Ohtani. Behind them are Kyle Tucker, Francisco Lindor, and Elly De La Cruz.

In the American League, Bobby Witt Jr. tops the list, followed by Aaron Judge, Gunnar Henderson, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Jose Ramirez.

ALSO READ: Money wasn’t everything in Juan Soto’s bold Mets decision

Soto’s place at the top of the NL rankings is particularly surprising but primarily led by the fact that he’s coming off an offseason where he secured a franchise-defining $765 million contract. While no one doubts his elite ability, some fans questioned whether he should be placed ahead of Ohtani.

Nobody outside New York likes Soto
— Andrew Sallach (@asallach) March 7, 2025

Rage bait
— karl 🙂 (@KarlJacobs_) March 8, 2025

I’m taking number two in both leagues
— Jason Dinaro ₿ (@neverEnough32) March 7, 2025

What a joke but it’s alright 😂 pic.twitter.com/mc2PcmbhD2
— annoying ohtani fan (@owndodgerhaters) March 7, 2025

0/10 ragebait 😂😂
— SnellisKing (@SnellisKing) March 7, 2025

They want to give it to Soto so bad
— patcollects (@patcollects) March 8, 2025

Unsurprisingly, reactions from fans poured in, with many outright dismissing the rankings. Some found the picks laughable, others called it “pure rage bait,” and a few argued that Judge should be first in the AL.

MVP betting favorites

According to BetMGM, odds, Shohei Ohtani remains the clear front-runner for NL MVP, while Aaron Judge narrowly trails Bobby Witt Jr. in the AL.

AL MVP favorites:

Player	Team	Odds
Aaron Judge	Yankees	300
Bobby Witt Jr.	Royals	325
Gunnar Henderson	Orioles	600
Yordan Alvarez	Astros	900
Corey Seager	Rangers	1200
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	Blue Jays	1400
José Ramírez	Guardians	1800
Mike Trout	Angels	2000

NL MVP favorites:

Player	Team	Odds
Shohei Ohtani	Dodgers	160
Juan Soto	Mets	550
Fernando Tatis Jr.	Padres	800
Mookie Betts	Dodgers	1300
Bryce Harper	Phillies	1600
Kyle Tucker	Cubs	1600
Francisco Lindor	Mets	2000
Elly De La Cruz	Reds	2200

While Soto leading Ohtani in the MLB.com poll is rather surprising, and by far and large a raig bait, the betting odds still have Ohtani as the favorite to win the NL MVP.

Aaron Judge

Juan Soto

MVP

Shohei Ohtnai

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.