Long Shot Picks To Win World Series MVP

The improbable 2022 World Series is set. The NL’s No. 6 seed, the Philadelphia Phillies, who were 87-75 in the regular season and finished in third place in the NL East and 14 games back of both the Mets and the division-winning Braves, are off to their first Fall Classic since 2009.

The Phillies were 30-to-1 (+3000) underdogs entering the postseason but kept advancing, by dispatching, in relatively short order, the Cardinals, the defending champion Braves, and the Padres in the NLCS.

Now they face the mighty Astros who are heavy favorites (-200 at FanDuel Sportsbook) to win their second world championship.

One guy who is really, really rooting for Houston is legendary gambler Mattress Mack, who will sleep soundly – to the sweet cha-ching sound of a cool $75 million – if the Astros win it all.

But I believe that the Phillies ride this wild run all the way to their third title in franchise history.

With that written, that also means that I think the World Series MVP award will go to a Philadelphia player. After all, Bobby Richardson of the 1960 New York Yankees is the only player in World Series history to be named MVP on a losing team.

The World Series often thrusts overlooked and underrated players into the spotlight. Superstars like Bryce Harper and Justin Verlander are naturally among the favorites to take home the MVP hardware.

However, in six of the past seven World Series, the eventual MVP had odds of +1500 (15-1) or higher, including Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler who won last year’s award with +3500 odds.

If I’m saying Phillies, and I am, I’ll give you two guys I like. I can’t take Bryce Harper because I’m almost certain the Astros aren’t going to allow him to beat them, which means lots of away pitches and plenty of walks for the two-time MVP.

Before we get to my two picks, with odds courtesy of one of our favorite sites bet365, take a look at all of the great bonuses out there (mostly for those signing up for the first time), from FanDuel Sportsbook and its $1,200 offer to new players to DraftKings Sportsbook (Bet $5, Win $200) to PointsBet Sportsbook (Risk-free bet up to $2,000 for new players) to BetMGM’s awesome $1,000 match on a first deposit.

As of this writing, there are 19 states, and also D.C., that offer online sports gambling, with more to come in 2023, just in time for Super Bowl LVII.     

So shop around and decide on what’s the best sportsbook for you. You can’t go wrong.

On to the two Phillies who I’d bet to win World Series MVP.

Rhys Hoskins (+1800)

Frankly, I’m stunned by this price, so jump on it before it drops. To say that Hoskins is Scoville-scale hot is putting it mildly.

He hit four home runs with seven RBIs against the Padres in the NLCS after struggling mightily against the Cardinals and Braves.

But that was then. Hoskins looks dialed in and he – and those odds – are too good to dismiss. 

Kyle Schwarber (+1500)

Schwarber won’t be intimidated by the Astros or the World Series spotlight.

In his postseason career, he’s hit .241 with 35 hits, 12 homers, 23 RBIs and 26 runs scored in 46 games, and in 2016 helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series title, batting .416 with several clutch hits.

In this year’s NLCS against the Padres, he finished with three home runs, four RBIs and just three strikeouts compared to six walks. 

He was also the National League home run leader this season (46) and as his jaw-dropping 488-foot blast off San Diego’s Yu Darvish in Game 1 of the NLCS proved, he is a dangerous, powerful dude. Be careful, Houston pitchers, or you could have a very big problem indeed.