MLB Rookie of the Year Odds: AL & NL Favorites

The 2024 MLB season featured an exciting Rookie of the Year race in both the American League and National League.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes claimed the honor in the NL, establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the sport. He went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, recording 170 strikeouts in 133 innings.

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil earned the same accolade in the AL after posting a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA. He struck out 171 batters in 151 2/3 innings of work.

Based on the preseason MLB odds in the spring, both players were long shots in this market. Skenes started with a +3000 value, while Gil was off the board in the preseason and as long as 50/1 in the spring.

AL Rookie of the Year Odds: Favorites

The 2025 AL Rookie of the Year odds market will be released in the spring, but the 2024 season will be a tough act to follow. This race featured plenty of drama throughout the year, particularly at the top of the board.

Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford started as a +225 betting favorite on Opening Day before struggling out of the gate. That opened the door for Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller to grab an early lead.

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil eventually went from long shot (I bet him at 50/1 in the spring) to a minus-odds favorite by mid-summer before being passed by Baltimore Orioles rookie Colton Cowser.

Gil reclaimed the top spot on the oddsboard in September and was a -250 favorite before his final start of the regular season. However, a poor showing in his final appearance caused many to wonder (myself included) if Cowser would win the award.

Ultimately, Gil bested Cowser by a narrow margin. The New York pitcher received 15 first-place votes to cash my bet and anyone else who tailed my pick.

NL Rookie of the Year Odds: Favorites

The NL Rookie of the Year race was more top-heavy, but it also came down to the wire.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto opened as a +250 favorite, though Skenes proved to be the better first-year pitcher after debuting mid-May.

Skenes showcased some of the best stuff in baseball as soon as he stepped on the mound. That’s why he earned the start in the All-Star Game and figures to be an NL Cy Young contender for several years.

San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill, the betting favorite to win NL ROY for much of August, made a strong push down the stretch by playing a pivotal role for a playoff team. Merrill posted a 4.4 WAR, recording 90 RBI and 24 home runs.

In the end, Skenes received 23 first-place votes to come through as a 30/1 preseason favorite. 

Stay tuned for the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year odds via the BetMGM online sportsbook.

2024 AL Rookie of the Year Voting

2024 NL Rookie of the Year Voting

List of AL & NL Rookie of the Year Winners

*There was only one award for both leagues in 1947 and 1948.

MLB Teams With Most Rookie of the Year Awards

The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have the most Rookie of the Year Awards (18):

Dodgers: 18
Yankees: 10
Braves: 9
Athletics: 8
Orioles: 8
Reds: 8

Has a Rookie Ever Won the Cy Young Award?

Only one rookie has won the Cy Young Award: Fernando Valenzuela.

Valenzuela was a 21-year-old rookie for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 when he led the MLB in strikeouts and lead the Dodgers to the World Series.

Has an MLB Rookie Ever Won MVP?

Two rookies have won MVP: Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki.

Lynn won AL MVP in 1975 after leading the Boston Red Sox to 95 regular-season wins and a World Series appearance in the World Series. Ichiro won AL MVP in 2001 as the Seattle Mariners tied the MLB record for most wins in a season (116).