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Best Bets! American League 2012 MVP Handicapping Predictions

2012 AL MVP Odds + Picks

In 2011, Justin Verlander became the first pitcher to win the MVP award in a long time. Verlander earned the pitchers version of the Triple Crown and edged out Jacoby Ellsbury and Jose Bautista. The 2012 Major League Baseball season is about to get started.

There are some new faces in the American League this year, so the entire MVP picture looks quite a bit different. There are plenty of familiar faces at the top of the MVP odds for 2012, but there are two notable newcomers in the top five.

Let’s take a closer look at the 2012 American League MVP Odds.

2012 American League MVP Odds from Bovada

Albert Pujols Odds to Win AL MVP – 11/2

Bovada has installed Pujols as the 11/2 favorite to win the American League MVP this year. The Angels weren’t really thought to be the team favored to pick up Pujols in the offseason, but they grabbed him with a huge last minute offer. Pujols moves to a stadium that isn’t exactly terribly friendly to hitters, but neither was Busch Stadium in Saint Louis. The size of the stadium never stopped Albert from doing his work before, and I don’t expect it to stop him now. He is the most feared hitter in the game. The only question here is does he have enough support behind him in the Angels lineup.

Adrian Gonzalez Odds to Win AL MVP – 15/2

Gonzalez had a good first year in Boston, but he didn’t finish the season very well. He had a terrific .338 batting average, but it was surprising to see his home runs actually drop to 27. Leaving Petco Park most assumed he would see a big boost in his home run total. I expect his power to improve this season. The Red Sox lineup is still stacked so pitchers won’t be able to pitch around him. If he can be more consistent this season, he has a chance to win this award.

Miguel Cabrera Odds to Win AL MVP – 15/2

Cabrera has finished in the top five in MVP voting three straight years. He is the model of consistency as a hitter. Cabrera has hit .324, .328, and .344 in the past three years. In 2011, his .344 batting average was the best in the American League. Also, he racked up a ridiculous .448 on-base-percentage. He has homered at least 30 times in five straight seasons. The Tigers offense ranked fourth in the league in runs scored last year, and that should be going up this year. Cabrera is poised for another huge year.

Jose Bautista Odds to Win AL MVP – 12/1

Bautista proved that 2010 was no fluke with another terrific year in 2011. Most expected a major drop off from Bautista, but he had another dominating season. Bautista raised his batting average from .260 to .302 and he walked a career-high 132 times. This is a guy who has matured a ton as a hitter over the span of the past couple years. He doesn’t get quite the attention some of the others on this list do because he doesn’t play on a great team.

Prince Fielder Odds to Win AL MVP – 12/1

The second newbie on the AL MVP list is Prince Fielder. Along with Cabrera, he’ll make the Tigers middle of the order downright scary. What pitcher is going to want to see these two back-to-back? Fielder moves to a park that is less friendly to hitters, but I think he’ll continue to put up big numbers. He has amazing bat speed and he should adjust to the American League quickly. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

AL MVP Free Pick – Miguel Cabrera

No one has been a more consistent hitter than Cabrera over the last few years. I expect the Tigers to be extremely good this year, so he’ll have plenty of chances to impress the voters. Pitchers won’t be able to pitch around him anymore, and that should mean his already ridiculous numbers likely go even higher.

I like Cabrera to win the AL MVP in 2012.

Albert Pujols 6/1
Adrian Gonzalez 8/1
Miguel Cabrera 9/1
Evan Longoria 12/1
Jose Bautista 12/1
Prince Fielder 12/1
Robinson Cano 12/1
Jacoby Ellsbury 18/1
Mark Teixeira 18/1
Josh Hamilton 20/1
Dustin Pedroia 22/1
Joe Mauer 22/1
Adrian Beltre 25/1
Alex Rodriguez 25/1
Justin Verlander 25/1
Ian Kinsler 30/1
Carl Crawford 35/1
Jered Weaver 35/1
Justin Morneau 35/1
Curtis Granderson 40/1
David Price 40/1
Felix Hernandez 40/1
Adam Lind 50/1
C.C Sabathia 50/1
C.J. Wilson 50/1
Derek Jeter 50/1
Eric Hosmer 50/1
Ichiro Suzuki 50/1
Mark Reynolds 50/1
Matt Wieters 50/1
Michael Young 50/1
Yoenis Cespedes 50/1
Jon Lester 75/1
Paul Konerko 75/1

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By Kyle Hunter

Kyle Hunter sports picks – A degree in finance and a great ability to follow important trends and statistics set him apart from the rest. Totals are Kyle's specialty, so look for a lot of totals picks from NBA, NCAAF, & the NFL. Check out his plays today.