MLB Rookie of the Year Odds: 2024 AL & NL Favorites

Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles were named Rookie of the Year in their respective leagues in 2023, making an immediate impact for two playoff teams.

It also proved that MLB odds are getting better at projecting the future superstars of the league, as Henderson was the preseason favorite in the AL (+250), and Carroll was the No. 2 option (+400) in the NL last spring.

Who will win MLB Rookie of the Year in 2024?

AL Rookie of the Year Odds: Favorites

(odds as of late Sept.)

The AL Rookie of the Year race hasn’t featured much drama in recent seasons. 

The preseason favorite has won AL Rookie of the Year in two of the last three seasons, with the lone exception being Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez, who was slightly behind Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. in betting odds when he won the award in 2022.

But that wasn’t the case this year.

Wyatt Langford struggled out of the gates after starting as the preseason favorite, opening 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. The thing is, Gil gave up six runs on six hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished with a 15-7 clip and a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts, but did his final performance open the door for Cowser?

Cowser finished with a 3.1 WAR after recording two homers in the final five games. Gil also posted a 3.1 WAR. This race will be close.

Prediction: Colton Cowser

NL Rookie of the Year Odds: Favorites

(odds as of late Sept.)

The NL Rookie of the Year race also featured plenty of drama down the stretch.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes reclaimed his spot as the betting favorite before the market was pulled in late September. San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill was the favorite for much of August.

Since debuting in May, Skenes has showcased some of the best stuff in baseball. Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 170 batters in 133 innings.

Merrill has made a strong push down the stretch, playing a key role for a playoff-bound Padres team. Merrill posted a 4.4 WAR, recording 90 RBI and 24 home runs.

But Skenes has been one of the best stories in baseball this year. I think he deserves to win the award.

Prediction: Paul Skenes

MLB Betting Insights: Rookie of the Year

Here are the latest betting insights for the Rookie of the Year markets at the online sportsbook:

AL Rookie of the Year

• Highest Tickets: Wyatt Langford 14.8%
• Highest Handle: Colton Cowser 21.7%
• Biggest Liability: Austin Wells

NL Rookie of the Year

• Highest Tickets: Paul Skenes 25.8%
• Highest Handle: Jackson Merrill 32.2%
• Biggest Liability: Paul Skenes

2023 AL Rookie of the Year Voting

2023 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
Braves: 9
Yankees: 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).