2023 MLB Power Rankings: Who are the favorites for the AL MVP? (August Edition 2.0)

With a little more than a full month left in the 2023 MLB regular season, the road to October is beginning to become clearer. The same can be said for the 2023 AL MVP race — although it’s fair to argue that the race for it’s been settled for quite some time. Here’s a look at our picks for the favorites to win the American League MVP as of late August.

5. Julio Rodriguez

Prior to the month of August, Mariners OF Julio Rodriguez was not among the top candidates for the AL MVP. Two things that changed: several potential candidates were sidelined and Rodriguez’s dominance throughout the month. From August 1-22, Rodriguez hit .412/.444/.659 with four home runs, nine stolen bases 13 extra base hits, and 22 RBI across 18 games. No player in baseball had more hits in that time than “J-Rod,” and Rodriguez’s risen to seventh in the AL in bWAR (4.6).

4. Marcus Semien

There’s a convincing case for Bo Bichette — who’s had a strong season, but have also missed time in 2023 — to be on this list. However, Rangers 2B Marcus Semien, who led all position players in bWAR (5.6) as of August 23, seems like a natural fit to make this list instead. Semien, who’s second in the Junior Circuit in hits (146), tied for first in games played (126), and first in runs scored (96), has been a steady hand for the Rangers this season.

3. Gerrit Cole

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole‘s August has not been pretty. The 32-year-old gave up six earned runs in four innings against the Red Sox on August 19, to raise his ERA in the month of August to 5.25. Despite that poor figure, Cole still figures to be the favorite for the AL’s top pitcher award and consideration for the MVP. No pitcher in the AL has a better bWAR (4.7) or ERA (3.03) than Cole, and his 170 strikeouts ranked fourth-best in the league.

2. Corey Seager

The AL MVP Case for Corey Seager is a complicated one. His stats have been phenomenal, and he’s tied for second in the American League in bWAR (5.5) despite missing a significant number of games — and that right there is the sticking point. But if Seager can stay healthy through the rest of 2023, he should be a serious candidate for the award.

1. Shohei Ohtani

As of this moment, Shohei Ohtani is doing laps around the competition. Ohtani’s 44 home runs are eleven more than Luis Robert Jr.‘s 31 bombs, and he’s leading the league in total bases (304) and OPS (1.065). Oh, and did we mention he’s fifth in the AL in strikeouts on the mound.

The Angels’ postseason hopes might have been dashed, but Ohtani’s had himself a banner year. Right now, he’s the clear favorite to win his second AL MVP in three seasons.

Note: This list is as of August 23. It will be updated throughout the year.