Jackson Holliday, Evan Carter AL Rookie of the Year Co-Favorites
AL Rookie of the Year Odds: Wyatt Langford in Mix at +400
With Opening Day just around the corner, oddsmakers suspect the chase for American League Rookie of the Year will be a two-man race. Baltimore shortstop Jackson Holliday and Texas outfielder Evan Carter are currently +275 co-favorites to win the award.
That said, they figure to face competition over the next six-plus months, possibly even from some of their teammates.
How should bettors proceed? Read on as we break down the AL Rookie of the Year odds.
THE FAVORITES
Jackson Holliday, SS, Baltimore Orioles (+275)
The 2022 No. 1 overall pick and son of former All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday has torn through the minors and could crack Baltimore’s Opening Day roster. Even if he does not, the 20-year-old phenom figures to be in the big leagues sooner rather than later.
Holliday has impressed in spring training, hitting .294 with a homer and five RBI in 34 at-bats. He had a .941 OPS in the minors last season.
Nobody would be surprised if Holliday followed Gunnar Henderson’s footsteps and won American League Rookie of the Year.
Evan Carter, OF, Texas Rangers (+275)
The Rangers’ No. 1 prospect was called up last September after outfielder Adolis Garcia injured his knee, and he played well enough to stick around during the team’s World Series run. Carter slashed .306/.413/.645 with five homers in 23 regular-season games, then hit .300 while also starring defensively in the playoffs.
With a full season ahead of him, Carter stands an excellent chance to challenge Holliday as the AL’s top rookie.
TOP CONTENDERS
Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers (+400)
Langford continues to tear up spring training. Through 12 games, he’s hitting .375 with a 1.243 OPS, second in the Cactus League behind Oakland second baseman Zack Gelof (1.312).
If this keeps up, the 2023 first-round pick may give Texas no choice as he makes his case for the Opening Day roster.
Whether or not he is with the Rangers on March 28, he’ll get a bunch of at-bats and potentially climb the AL Rookie of the Year odds board.
Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels (+750)
The Angels stunned the industry when they called up Schanuel, the 11th pick in last July’s draft out of Florida Atlantic, after just 21 minor-league games.
But Schanuel held his own, hitting .275 with a .732 OPS while reaching base safely in all 29 games with Los Angeles.
Schanuel showed plenty of power in college, and the Angels suspect he’ll tap into that as he gets more comfortable at the plate.
Junior Caminero, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (+800)
Instead of handing shortstop — a position of need in the absence of Wander Franco — to Caminero, Tampa Bay will seemingly go by committee at the outset. Nevertheless, Caminero is not expected to be in the minors for long.
Last season as a 19-year-old, Caminero hit .324 with 31 homers and 94 RBI in 117 games between Single-A and Double-A, earning himself a call-up in late September.
A bit more seasoning can’t hurt. Caminero will be a fixture with Tampa Bay before long. The Rays (+3500 to win World Series) may need him to boost their MLB odds.
Parker Meadows, OF, Detroit Tigers (+900)
Speed and defense are his most obvious tools, but will Meadows hit enough to justify his worth in center field? Meadows slashed .256/.337/.474 with 19 homers in 113 games at Triple-A Toledo last season and is off to a decent start this spring.
Detroit is undoubtedly looking for the 24-year-old Meadows to finally put it all together and help them climb the MLB standings.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
Colt Keith, 2B, Detroit Tigers (+1000)
The Tigers rewarded Keith, the organization’s 2023 Minor League Player of the Year, in January with a $28.6 million contract extension over the next six seasons. The deal includes three club options that could take it to $82 million.
It is a big commitment for someone who has never played in the majors, but the Tigers are all-in on Keith being their second baseman of the future.
Despite a tough spring (.231/.310/.308), Keith should get plenty of at-bats with Detroit this year.
Wilyer Abreu, OF, Boston Red Sox (+1500)
The Venezuelan outfielder had an excellent debut with Boston in 2023, batting .316 with an .862 OPS and 14 RBI in 28 games. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s sixth-best prospect, Abreu is slated to begin the MLB season at Triple-A Worcester but should return to Boston at some point.
LONGSHOTS
Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles (+2000)
Cowser seemed ticketed for the minors, but a great spring could force Baltimore’s hand. He’s hitting .423 with four homers and a 1.430 OPS in 26 games.
MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 prospect, Cowser debuted with the Orioles last season and was 7-of-61 at the plate.
Regardless of where he starts, Cowser will be a big part of Baltimore’s youth movement.
Everson Pereira, OF, New York Yankees (+2500)
The odds are against Pereira making the big-league club out of camp. Still, Pereira, the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect, should get plenty of opportunities to contribute in the outfield. As it is, Aaron Judge is already dealing with abdominal soreness that has kept the former AL MVP out of action.
Pereira made his MLB debut last August and hit .151 in 27 games.
Ricky Tiedemann, P, Toronto Blue Jays (+3000)
At 30/1, the 21-year-old southpaw has the best AL Rookie of the Year odds of any pitcher. As Toronto’s top-ranked prospect, he boasts immense upside.
Tiedemann stands an outside chance of cracking Toronto’s rotation, making him a longshot to win Rookie of the Year. However, that could change. He made 15 starts between rookie ball and Triple-A last season, registering a 3.68 ERA and 82 strikeouts in just 44 innings.
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