In his first two seasons with the Phillies, Bryce Harper was a preseason favorite to win the MVP award.
This year, you might have to scroll a little to find his name.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Harper has the 10th best odds to win the NL MVP at +1500, sitting right behind division-rival Freddie Freeman (+1400). In fact, three of the top five favorites are players in the NL East. Here is a look at the top 10:
1. Juan Soto (+700)
2. Mookie Betts (+750)
3. Ronald Acuna Jr. (+750)
4. Fernando Tatis Jr. (+850)
5. Francisco Lindor (+1100)
6. Christian Yelich (+1200)
7. Nolan Arenado (+1200)
8. Cody Bellinger (+1300)
9. Freddie Freeman (+1400)
10. Bryce Harper (+1500)
The good news is there is no clear favorite to win the award outright. Soto, Betts, Acuna and Tatis all have similar odds, while Lindor through Harper are all in a close vicinity as well.
Harper's +1500 is similar to his preseason odds last season to win the award (+1500). Back in 2019, the then prized free agent was a 6/1 (+600) odds on favorite to win.
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Despite sitting behind nine other players, Harper might be a good bet. Last season, opposing pitchers threw strikes to him just 33% of the time which was the smallest percentage of any qualified hitter in baseball, per FanGraphs. In fact, over the last two seasons, he has seen the least amount of strikes in baseball, per BetQL.
Now, with J.T. Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm, and a healthy Andrew McCutchen, the Phillies might have enough dangerous hitters to protect Harper and force pitchers to throw him strikes. Coming off a solid 2020 campaign where his plate discipline was at a career-best, Harper could be poised to do damage this season.