2022 MLB All-Star Game odds: Shohei Ohtani betting favorite for MVP honors but will not pitch

Could Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani capture the individual award trifecta this year? By that we mean winning regular-season MVP honors, the American League Cy Young and the MVP of Tuesday's All-Star Game. He is favored for regular-season MVP (-110) and for MVP tonight (+450) from Dodger Stadium, but a +600 third favorite to win the Cy Young behind Tampa Bay's Shane McClanahan (+220; he starts for the AL tonight) and Houston's Justin Verlander (+260).

An Angels player has won All-Star Game MVP five times, with Mike Trout the last to do so in 2015 when he repeated. Ohtani will lead off and hit from the designated hitter spot for Dusty Baker's club; Baker also wanted to start Ohtani on the mound but he is not expected to pitch tonight by his own accord. He wants to be ready to start for the Angels on Friday, when the club opens its second-half schedule at Atlanta. Last year, Ohtani didn't return to the mound until the fourth game after the break.

"I'm pitching the first game out of the All-Star break, so I'd only have two days in between," Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. "I obviously prioritize the season over the All-Star Game."

If you are wondering, Ohtani is 0-for-8 in his career against Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, who starts on the mound for the National League.

The Yankees' Aaron Judge is a +550 second favorite for MVP tonight and also second for AL regular-season MVP at +140. Judge leads the majors with 33 homers and will hit second from right field. Just twice has a Yankee won ASG MVP, most recently by Mariano Rivera in 2013. Don't expect a reliever to win it again as that was more of a career award for Rivera in his final season.

Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the ASG MVP last year at Coors Field in Denver and is +800 to repeat. No other player is below +1000. There are eight long shots each priced +10000. Only six players have won the MVP award in their only All-Star Game appearance and the lone teams to never have an ASG MVP are the White Sox, the Tigers, the Cardinals and Nationals (the Expos had a few winners).

One thing to keep in mind tonight: If the game is tied after nine innings, it will be decided by a Home Run Derby for the first time. Three players from each league would take three swings apiece to decide the final result. Braves and NL manager Brian Snitker has picked the New York Mets' Pete Alonso, Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber for NL, while Houston's Baker selected Seattle's Julio Rodriguez and Ty France along with Houston's Kyle Tucker for the AL. 

AL Starting Lineup

DH Shohei Ohtani, Angels
RF Aaron Judge, Yankees
3B Rafael Devers, Red Sox
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
LF Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees
CF Byron Buxton, Twins (replacing the injured Mike Trout)
SS Tim Anderson, White Sox
2B Andrés Giménez, Guardians (replacing the injured Jose Altuve)
C Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays

NL Starting Lineup

RF Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
CF Mookie Betts, Dodgers
3B Manny Machado, Padres
1B Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals
SS Trea Turner, Dodgers
C Willson Contreras, Cubs
DH William Contreras, Braves (replacing the injured Bryce Harper)
LF Joc Pederson, Giants
2B Jeff McNeil, Mets (replacing the injured Jazz Chisholm)