The AL & NL MVP favorites through the first quarter of the 2022 MLB season

Ohtani won the 2021 AL MVP with a historic season as a two-way player and is off to another good start this year. He’s hitting .248-8-27 and has been even better on the mound with a 2.82 ERA and 53/9 K/BB in 38.1 innings.

With Fernando Tatis Jr. sidelined, Machado has filled the void for the Brewers. He leads the NL with a .363 batting average and .437 on-base percentage while also hitting seven home runs.

A pending free agent, Judge is making the most of his walk year by leading the AL with 14 home runs. He’s also hitting .307 with a 1.045 OPS.

Arenado continues to play elite defense at the hot corner, and he’s also having a bounce-back season at the plate. He’s hitting .289-9-31 with a .918 OPS in 38 games played.

Back from a chronic calf injury that kept him out for most of last season, Trout is showing MLB fans what they missed. He’s hitting .317-11-24 with a 1.109 OPS.

Freeman has continued to produce after signing with the Dodgers in the offseason. He’s hitting .322-3-21 with an excellent .911 OPS.

Guerrero is off to a relatively slow start after leading the AL in OPS last season. He’s hitting .275-7-21 with a .815 OPS in 38 games.

Harper is playing through a nagging elbow injury that is preventing him from playing defense. He’s made up for the absence with his bat, hitting .305-9-27 and leading the league in slugging.

The oft-injured Buxton has been on the field for most of the first quarter, and the Twins are happy to see the results. He’s hitting .235-11-20 with a .941 OPS.

Soto has opened the year hitting only .250, but his league-leading 32 walks have boosted his on-base percentage to .390. He also has eight home runs, but a poor supporting cast has allowed him to drive in only 11 runs.

The dynamic Ramirez could be a sleeper in the AL MVP race based on his early production. He’s hitting .287-9-37 with 20 extra-base hits and has more walks than strikeouts.

Acuna missed much of April as he recovered from a torn ACL, but he’s made up for lost time. He’s opened his season hitting .280-2-5 with seven steals in 13 games.

Alvarez’s prodigious power continues to impress. The Astros power hitting has 12 home runs in 22 RBI with a .927 OPS in 34 games.

Betts continues to set the table in the terrific Dodgers lineup. He’s hitting .260-8-20 with a .827 OPS.

Robert is displaying his power and speed as a centerpiece of the White Sox offense. He’s hitting .301-6-17 with six stolen bases in 30 games.

Alonso is one of the biggest reasons for New York’s great start. He leads the NL with 10 home runs and 36 RBI, also hitting .276.

Franco has fought nagging leg injuries early this year. The 21-year-old has done his best to stay on the field and hit .263-4-16 with four stolen bases.

After a fast start, Lindor’s production has slowed considerably. He’s now hitting .240-6-22 with five stolen bases and a .743 OPS.

Stanton has remained healthy thus far and also productive at the plate, hitting .296-11-35 in 35 games. He’s a big reason for New York’s dominant beginning of the season in 2022.

Turner’s early season hasn’t been quite up to his high standard but he’s still very good. He’s hitting .283-2-28 with eight stolen bases in 38 games.

Devers has been the MVP of the Red Sox offense thus far, and he could have higher accolades in mind. He’s hitting .327-7-30 through 39 games.

Olson had big shoes to fill, replacing Freddie Freeman at first base for the Braves. He’s done a nice job thus far, hitting .250/.374/.438 with four home runs and a league-leading 15 doubles.

Springer is off to a strong start, but still faces long odds in the MVP race. He’s hitting .271-7-22 as Toronto’s primary leadoff man.

After an inconsistent 2021 season, Chisholm looks like a budding superstar early this year. He’s hitting .294-7-27 with six stolen bases, and also leads the league with four triples.