We're getting deeper into the heart of the MLB season and the AL and NL Rookie of the Year races are starting to heat up.
The American League may finally have a frontrunner as Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez is looking more and more like the touted prospect we all expected to show up on Opening Day. Meanwhile, Seiya Suzuki may have challengers in the NL as Alek Thomas and MacKenzie Gore are making noise behind him on the odds board.
Here's a look at the latest Rookie of the Year odds:
Odds to win AL Rookie of the Year
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Julio Rodriguez (Mariners) | +200 |
| Jeremy Pena (Astros) | +225 |
| Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) | +600 |
| Joe Ryan (Twins) | +1,000 |
| Adley Rutschman (Orioles) | +1,000 |
| Reid Detmers (Angels) | +1,800 |
| Grayson Rodriguez (Orioles) | +2,000 |
| Spencer Torkelson (Tigers) | +2,500 |
| Triston Casas (Red Sox) | +2,500 |
| Jarren Duran (Red Sox) | +4,000 |
| Josh Lowe (Rays) | +5,000 |
| Steven Kwan (Guardians) | +5,000 |
| Jose Siri (Astros) | +6,000 |
| George Kirby (Mariners) | +8,000 |
| Josh Winder (Twins) | +8,000 |
| Royce Lewis (Twins) | +8,000 |
| Kyle Bradish (Orioles) | +8,000 |
| Matt Brash (Mariners) | +8,000 |
Odds courtesy of SuperBook Sports as of May 25, 2022.
AL ROY favorites
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (+200)
If Rodriguez's slow start to his career scared you off from laying down some wagers on him winning the AL ROY, you probably missed the boat at getting really good odds. J-Rod is now hitting .272 but it's only that low thanks to an absolutely atrocious start. Since April 22, the date of his first two-hit game, Rodriguez is hitting .322/.365/.508 with five home runs and eight stolen bases. Sky's the limit.
Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros (+225)
Pena is perhaps the only reason J-Rod hasn't completely run away with the race already. April was up-and-down, but the Astros infielder has flipped a switch in May. Pena is hitting .377 with three home runs this month and has finished a game without a base hit only twice, and one of those came on May 1. Remarkable.
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (+600)
Baseball is hard. Witt has had stretches where he's looked absolutely fabulous at the dish and others where he's looked decidedly lost. This has amounted to him batting .222 with five home runs over his first 40 MLB games. Things should click into place eventually, but he's losing ground.
Odds to win NL Rookie of the Year
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) | +150 |
| Alek Thomas (Diamondbacks) | +600 |
| MacKenzie Gore (Padres) | +600 |
| Juan Yepez (Cardinals) | +700 |
| Nolan Gorman (Cardinals) | +700 |
| CJ Abrams (Padres) | +1,600 |
| Max Meyer (Marlins) | +1,600 |
| Oneil Cruz (Pirates) | +1,600 |
| Cade Cavalli (Nationals) | +3,000 |
| Joey Bart (Giants) | +3,000 |
| Matthew Liberatore (Cardinals) | +3,000 |
| Nick Lodolo (Reds) | +4,000 |
| Roansy Contreras (Pirates) | +4,000 |
| Hunter Greene (Reds) | +5,000 |
| Camilo Doval (Giants) | +6,000 |
| Bryson Stott (Phillies) | +8,000 |
| Luis Campusano (Padres) | +8,000 |
| Edward Cabrera (Marlins) | +8,000 |
Odds courtesy of SuperBook Sports as of May 25, 2022.
Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs (+150)
Suzuki remains the odds-on favorite to win the NL's top rookie prize, but his odds have shifted. He was listed at -110 just two weeks ago thanks to a phenomenal April that put him way ahead of his peers. May has been a different story. In 18 games this month, Suzuki is batting .197 with no home runs and 25 strikeouts in 73 plate appearances. It's allowed his competition to catch up. He should be able to right the ship, but if you balked at his asking price before, it's probably wise to see if his odds balloon further.
Alek Thomas, Arizona Diamondbacks (+600)
Two weeks ago, Thomas was available at +3,000. His adjustment to the bigs has gone considerably smoother than many rookies this season as he's hit .283/.321/.528 with three home runs in his first 16 games. He's striking out in only 18% of his plate appearances and making a ton of contact. Chances are, you won't find him at long odds again unless he completely craters.
MacKenzie Gore, San Diego Padres (+600)
Gore's transition to the majors has gone smoothly, especially after his status as one of baseball's best pitching prospects stalled out due to injury and mediocre results in recent seasons. Over his first seven outings (six starts), Gore is 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts in 35 innings. He's limited homers against to just one and has stayed in the strike zone for the most part with a solid 2.83 BB/9. He's yet to allow more than three runs in any one outing, and he's only done that once. The only thing he needs to add is volume, but he is coming off his first start of six innings on May 22 when he limited the Giants to one run on three hits.
Understanding MLB ROY odds
Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When Jonathan India emerged as the National League Rookie of the Year in 2021, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number down the stretch.
- Jonathan India -1,200
That means that a bettor in September had to wager $1,200 to win $100 by betting on India to win NL Rookie of the Year. Before the season starts, almost every player will have a plus (+) sign ahead of their odds.
- Reid Detmers +2,000
That means a bettor would profit $2,000 for a $100 wager on Detmers before the season started if he's ultimately successful.
If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.
MLB Rookie of the Year Awards FAQ
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez is the solo betting favorite at +250.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki is the solo betting favorite at -120.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena won the AL ROY and Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India won in the NL.
MLB rules state a player is considered a rookie unless he has 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 total days on an active MLB roster prior to September 1.
