The American League Rookie of the Year race last year was a pretty predictable one, with Gunnar Henderson remaining among the favorites from wire to wire.
This year, there’s a new and exciting batch of youngsters coming into the American League, and only one can bring home the trophy.
Let’s take a look at some of the top AL Rookie of the Year candidates and dig into the latest MLB futures odds for this award.
AL Rookie of the Year Odds
MLB odds used for these AL Rookie of the Year best bets are from Tuesday, March 12, and courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
- Jackson Holliday (+325)
- Evan Carter (+375)
- Wyatt Langford (+450)
- Junior Caminero (+800)
- Colt Keith (+950)
- Parker Meadows (+1000)
- Wilyer Abreu (+1500)
- Nolan Schanuel (+1500)
- Brooks Lee (+2000)
- Ricky Tiedemann (+2500)
- Heston Kjerstad (+3000)
- Kyle Manzardo (+3000)
- Marcelo Mayer (+3000)
- Jasson Dominguez (+3000)
AL Rookie of the Year Best Bet
Evan Carter (+375)
There are a lot of promising prospects on this list, but I am not about to bet against the one who already meaningfully contributed to a successful World Series run.
In 75 regular-season at-bats towards the end of last year, Carter racked up an outrageous 1.058 OPS. He was almost as good in the playoffs, putting up a 0.917 figure to go along with an even .300 batting average, including .286 in the World Series.
- Can the Rangers repeat? Find out in our latest World Series betting odds.
All Rookie of the Year candidates are top talents.
Carter is already a champion, and he’s the right pick at these odds.
[pick id="177784"]
AL Rookie of the Year Favorites
Jackson Holliday (+325)
Holliday is the betting favorite for a reason.
He has risen through the minor-league ranks outrageously fast, and as the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, he has had all of the preparation you could ever hope for.
Holliday has shown flashes of his dad’s power, even though quality contact has generally been his hallmark in the minors.
The only question is whether he’ll be able to adjust to the big leagues quickly enough at the age of 20, but if there’s any team that can usher him to early success, it’s these Orioles.
[pick id="177785"]
Wyatt Langford (+450)
Langford is another Texas Rangers youngster who can absolutely mash.
He smacked 21 homers in 64 games as a Florida Gator last year, and then after getting drafted, hit 10 more in 44 games.
This spring, he’s running an OPS of 1.300 across 36 plate appearances as he looks to play his way into the MLB squad.
If he keeps up these performances, he’ll be well on his way to a roster spot and more.
AL Rookie of the Year Contenders
Junior Caminero (+800)
Caminero had a tough time in a short stint with the Rays last year, but his minor league performances indicate that he’s well on the way to a solid career.
- See where the Rays rank in our American League Pennant odds.
After all, he is just 20 years old, so he has plenty of time to rise. The only question is how quickly will that be.
Caminero will start the season with Triple-A Durham, so he’ll need to make an impact quickly to get back to the big leagues early enough to accumulate a Rookie of the Year-worthy resume.
Colt Keith (+950)
Keith has a great chance to make a big impact at the MLB level this year.
The Detroit Tigers likely aren’t ready to contend just yet, so they’ll be more than happy to get him up to speed and give him plenty of at-bats.
That would be a good investment in a great talent, who is coming off of a pair of excellent minor league seasons ahead of what will presumably be his first extended shot in the big leagues.
Given that opportunity, this price is intriguing.
[pick id="177787"]
AL Rookie of the Year Sleepers
Heston Kjerstad (+3000)
Never bet against the Baltimore Orioles’ ability to develop a prospect after recent successes like Adley Rutschman and Henderson, the reigning winner of this award.
- Read more on Rutschmann in AL MVP odds & predictions.
The versatile Kjerstad should have a significant role this season, as there are plenty of ways for him to get into a lineup.
Ever since the 2022 Fall League, he’s been playing some really solid ball and should be ready to chip in as the O’s look to push to the top.
Jasson Dominguez (+3000)
With a home run off Justin Verlander in his first-ever Major League at-bat, Dominguez showed that he deserves all of the hype after a short MLB stint last summer.
However, it’s not clear when he’ll be back, although the start of June looks like a realistic target.
Will that be enough time to build a case? It has been on rare occasions, and Dominguez is a candidate to defy these longer odds.
[pick id="177789"]
Past AL Rookie of the Year Winners
2023: Gunnar Henderson
2022: Julio Rodriguez
2021: Randy Arozarena
2020: Kyle Lewis
2019: Yordan Alvarez
2018: Shohei Ohtani
2017: Aaron Judge
2016: Michael Fulmer
2015: Carlos Correa
2014: Jose Abreu