For the first time in more than four decades, the Dodgers will host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will be played in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 19. It can be seen on FOX.
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The home team is favored in the Midsummer Classic, as is typically the case. The NL is about -115 at most books as we head into “All-Star Week” in Los Angeles.
All-Star Game MVP Odds
Only eight times has a pitcher been named Most Valuable Player of the MLB All-Star Game. The last time was in 2019 when Shane Beiber won the honor.
Usually, the MVP of the All-Star Game is a position player who starts the game. Pitchers simply don’t stay in the game long enough to be considered for the award.
Here are the MVP odds from FanDuel Sportsbook for the 18 starting position players:
- Shohei Ohtani +400
- Aaron Judge +490
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. +600
- Mookie Betts +750
- Giancarlo Stanton +950
- Paul Goldschmidt +1300
- Byron Buxton +1300
- Trea Turner +1600
- Manny Machado +1600
- Joc Pederson +1600
- Willson Contreras +2400
- Rafael Devers +2400
- Ronald Acuña Jr. +3100
- William Contreras +3700
- Jeff McNeil +3700
- Andrés Giménez +5000
- Alejandro Kirk +5000
- Tim Anderson +5000
Top All-Star Game MVP Candidates
On Monday we’ll find out which two pitchers will start the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. One of the favorites for the NL is lefty Clayton Kershaw, who despite a legendary career, has never started an All-Star Game. This is Kershaw’s ninth All-Star selection. In his last start, he took a perfect game into the eighth inning.
If Kershaw starts and pitches the first two innings, leaves without allowing a run, and the NL wins, he’ll be a sentimental favorite to win the All-Star Game MVP.
Mookie Betts is one of six Dodgers on the National League All-Star roster, and since he’ll be hitting near the top of the lineup and starting in right field, he’ll have opportunities to stake a claim on the MVP award.
My favorite for MVP is a former Dodger, Joc Pederson, who now wears the enemy colors of the San Francisco Giants. Pederson loves to be in the middle of a spectacle, and he has a history of performing well on the big stage. Pederson has 12 post-season home runs, five in the World Series. He’s the first outfielder to start an All-Star Game for both the Dodgers and the Giants. Bet $50 on Pederson, and if he wins the ASG MVP, you’ll get $800.
EXPERT PICK: Joc Pederson to win All-Star Game MVP, +1600 from FanDuel
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Home Run Derby Props
Another fun bet during All-Star Game week is the longest home run hit during the MLB All-Star Game Home Run Derby. The Home Run Derby is Monday, July 18.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook on the longest HR hit in the Derby:
- Ronald Acuña Jr. +200
- Kyle Schwarber +350
- Juan Soto +400
- Pete Alonso +650
- Julio Rodríguez +800
- Corey Seager +900
- Albert Pujols +1200
- José Ramírez +1500
FanDuel Same Game Parlays
For the All-Star Game, you can bet the run line and total runs as a parlay on FanDuel Sportsbook TN:
- American League -1.5 / Over 8.5 +440
- American League -1.5 / Under 8.5 +410
- National League +1.5 / Over 8.5 +230
- National League +1.5 / Under 8.5 +150
Does the MLB All-Star Game Matter?
The MLB All-Star Game is the oldest of the all-star exhibitions in professional sports. It dates back to 1933, when some enterprising marketing folks at the Chicago Tribune decided it would be cool to have a special game mid-season in their city to promote the game. Well, not really…they wanted to sell subscriptions to the Tribune. But money makes the world go around, doesn’t it?
MLB has played an All-Star Game most years since 1933, with a few breaks for war and a pandemic. But here we are in 2022 with the game returning to Los Angeles for the first time since 1980.
The MLB All-Star Game means nothing in the standings and it doesn’t have any tangible impact on the baseball season. For a few misguided years, the winning league was rewarded as the home team in the subsequent World Series. But no longer. There was also a time when the leagues really hated each other and wanted to win the All-Star contest desperately. Once, the NL won 19 of 20 games. Talk about dominance.
The game is now a pure exhibition that no one takes seriously. The managers try to get as many players into the game as possible. The outcome is quickly forgotten. But the All-Star Game does matter. That’s because baseball is the oldest team sport in the U.S., and it still maintains a place as the so-called “national pastime.” It also lends itself to the best showcase for the game’s stars. In the ASG, a great batter can go one-on-one with a great pitcher, and a fantastic play can be made where we can see the player up close. It’s also a de facto break in the regular season, which allows us to pause and celebrate the great young stars in the game, as well as honor those legends who are on their way out of baseball.
