For most of the 2021 MLB season, two-way baseball extraordinaire Shohei Ohtani has been the leading candidate to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award. However, things got a little more interesting as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on quite a tear to put him right in the thick of the AL MVP conversation. Are there any other contenders on the tails of these two studs as well?

NitroBetting is here to deliver the latest Major League Baseball news and leading up to the 2021 MLB playoffs. This time, let’s take a look at the AL MVP race with less than a month left in the regular season. Be on top of all the developments in the MLB by tuning in to NitroBetting’s odds, previews, and predictions for all the upcoming games in the majors. Be sure to check out for our Baseball betting odds and daily sports betting odds and lines at our online Bitcoin sportsbook!

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MLB MVP race: Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could join historic group if he doesn't beat out Shohei Ohtanihttps://t.co/qCehISIRFg

— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) September 15, 2021

READ MORE: 2021 MLB National League MVP Race Update

Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Angels

• 2021 MLB American League MVP Odds: -2000

The MLB has never seen a player like Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani, who’s doing everything for the Angels both on the mound and at the plate and with tremendous results to show for that. Ohtani has a mind-boggling Wins Above Replacement of 7.6 as one of the most feared hitters in the Los Angeles lineup and a tough out on the mound as a starting pitcher. Simply put, the majors have never seen a player dominate the game of baseball in all aspects of the game like Ohtani has.

However, the 27-year-old wonder has cooled off a bit recently, hitting only six homers with a mere batting average of .222 over the last 26 games. Ohtani also saw his ERA rise from 2.93 to 3.36 after a rough outing against the Astros in his last start. Add in the fact that the Angels are far from playoff contention, and there could be a surprise upset for the AL MVP title when all is said and done.

Vladimir Gurrero Jr. – Toronto Blue Jays

• 2021 MLB American League MVP Odds: +800

The Toronto Blue Jays are well within range of making the playoffs as we speak, thanks largely to the emergence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as the best player in baseball over the past few weeks.

The second-generation superstar is in line to finish with the rare Triple Crown feat, as he currently leads the AL in batting average, is one home run ahead of Ohtani with his 45 dingers, and is four RBIs shy of tying Chicago’s Jose Abreu in that department. It would be a shame if Guerrero doesn’t receive a single MVP vote, and a tragedy altogether if he does fail to win the award whilst also bagging the Triple Crown title in the process.

Marcus Semien – Toronto Blue Jays

• 2021 MLB American League MVP Odds: +10000

Toronto’s success is not all on Guerrero’s shoulders, as his fellow teammate, veteran infielder Marcus Semien, has been fantastic in his own right for the Blue Jays’ one-two punch on the attack.

Semien is atop the WAR leaderboards for position players (6.7) thanks to his amazing endurance. The 30-year-old All-Star has played the most games and had the most plate appearances amongst all AL hitters this season, and his 78 extra-base hits are also tops in the league. But with Guerrero grabbing all the attention with his own amazing campaign, Semien would be lucky to get an MVP vote when all is said and done.

Carlos Correa – Houston Astros

• 2021 MLB American League MVP Odds: +20000

Another overlooked player in the AL MVP race is Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa, who’s been the lynchpin to the soon-to-be AL West champions Houston Astros’ success this season to be right back in the World Series hunt.

Correa has been the most consistently productive member of the star-studded Astros lineup, and that, sadly, is what’s likely hurting his chances of being recognized as a true MVP candidate. The two-time All-Star is not strong in any particular statistic, but ESPN’s Doolittle AXE rating has him tied for fourth along with Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez in the Award Index only behind Ohtani, Guerrero, and Semien.

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