2026 Rookie of the Year Odds: I Heard You Paint Corners
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We're only a few days out from Opening Day, and we're starting to get a look at what the final rosters may be.
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Some players are shockingly starting the year in Triple-A, while others have been given the good news that they'll be headed north with the big-league club.
I'm poring over the MLB odds board for AL and NL Rookie of the Year below as Opening Day gets closer and closer.
Odds to win 2026 AL Rookie of the Year
Player Trey Yesavage+425 Kevin McGonigle +500 Carter Jensen +550 Munetaka Murakami+750 Tatsuya Imai +800 Kazuma Okamoto +900 Samuel Basallo +1100 Chase DeLauter +1300 Dylan Beavers +1500 Colt Emerson +2000 Travis Bazzana +2000 Walker Jenkins +2500 Connelly Early+2500 Payton Tolle+3000 Carson Williams+4500 Spencer Jones+5000 Brice Matthews +5000Odds from DraftKings, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our DraftKings promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.
Odds as of 3-22.
Odds to win 2026 NL Rookie of the Year
Player Nolan McLean+250 Konnor Griffin +310 JJ Wetherholt +500 Sal Stewart +1000 Bubba Chandler+1600 Owen Caissie +1800 Justin Crawford+2000 Moises Ballesteros +2000 Carson Benge+2000 Bryce Eldridge+2500 Rhett Lowder+2800 Andrew Painter +3000 Logan Henderson +3500 Robby Snelling +4000 Jhostnyxon Garcia +4000 Joe Mack+4000 Quinn Mathews+4500 Thomas White +5000 Charlie Condon +5000 Jonah Tong+5000 Aidan Miller+5000Odds as of 3-22.
MLB Rookie of the Year futures bets
Teams are making cuts and announcing final rosters as Opening Day approaches. It's easy to overreact to these announcements, and either put too much stock in someone breaking camp or discounting someone too far for not.
Konnor Griffin will not be on the Pittsburgh Pirates, not at first, anyway. Neither will Jhostnyxon Garcia, which is absurd based on his spring and how desperate the Pirates are for offense. But still, Griffin's odds have only moved to +310 while Garcia's haven't moved off +4000. It'll take a prolonged stint in Triple-A and a considerable move in the odds for me to back Griffin at this rate.
While I'm not updating my betting card immediately, there are two other NL players I'm keeping tabs on who will play in big-league games this coming week.
BetOddsBet dateUnits Carson Benge+2000March 110.25 Bubba Chandler+1400February 250.25 Chase DeLauter+2000February 250.25The Philadelphia Phillies will open the season with not one, but two high-profile rookies on the roster, presumably in starting roles.
First, outfielder Justin Crawford will be the team's everyday center fielder. He's still +2000, and while the hit tool is certainly there, the power is potentially lacking. Nevertheless, he's polished and spent the entire 2025 season at Triple-A, batting .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs and 46 stolen bases as a 21-year-old.
I very nearly put a small wager on Andrew Painter, who will be in the rotation with Zack Wheeler on the shelf. If he pitches well enough, there's no reason why he can't usurp Taijuan Walker in the pecking order. This is probably the time to bet on him at +3000, so if you're bullish on the 22-year-old from before his 2023 Tommy John surgery, take the plunge.
Previous ROY picks thread
3/11: Benge
Carson Benge screamed through the minors in 2025, slashing .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 116 games across three levels. Even with a hiccup in Triple-A, I'm not deterred. He struck out just 17.7% of the time compared to a 13.1% walk rate while boasting a 150 wRC+. He basically looks like the next Kyle Tucker.
2/25: Chandler + DeLauter
Bubba Chandler wasn't as highly touted as Skenes, but he wasn't super far off, either. He posted a 1.83 ERA over his first 39 1/3 innings at Triple-A in 2024. Those numbers took a bit of a dive last season, but his first taste of MLB hitting went pretty well. The 4.02 ERA wasn't amazing, but he had a low walk rate, didn't surrender home runs, and had a 2.66 FIP that suggests at least some positive regression. With Griffin taking all the headlines at Pittsburgh Pirates camp, it's perhaps easy to forget that Chandler likely has a rotation spot on Opening Day unless things go all the way sideways this spring. His ace upside is enough to take a flier here.
Chase DeLauter is currently projected to open the season in the Cleveland Guardians outfield. Injuries have slowed his progression a bit, but he is a dangerous hitter, which is exactly what Cleveland needs. He doesn't strike out (15.8% K-rate in 42 minor-league games last year) and has major home run potential from the left side.
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Past Rookie of the Year winners
Previous AL RoY winners
Although all players have an equal chance of winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award, the honor has been claimed disproportionately by outfielders since its inception in 1949. Outfielders have 24 victories compared to 17 for pitchers and 17 for shortstops. Catchers are bringing up the rear with just two ROY victories over the past 73 years.
YearPlayer2025 Nick Kurtz (1B)2024 Luis Gil (SP)2023 Gunnar Henderson (3B/SS)2022 Julio Rodriguez (OF)2021 Randy Arozarena (OF)2020 Kyle Lewis (OF)2019 Yordan Alvarez (OF)2018Shohei Ohtani (P/OF)2017 Aaron Judge (OF)2016 Michael Fulmer (SP)2015 Carlos Correa (SS)2014Jose Abreau (1B)2013 Wil Myers (OF)Popular MLB futures markets
Previous NL RoY winners
No franchise has won more Rookie of the Year awards than the Dodgers. "The Blue Crew" have claimed 18 RoY trophies dating back to the club's early days in Brooklyn.
However, unlike the AL — where the West has been the recent home of the top rookies — the NL East has housed six of the last 13 RoYs, with a mix of outfielders, infielders, starting pitchers, a catcher, and even a reliever.
YearPlayer (Team)2025 Drake Baldwin (C)2024 Paul Skenes (SP)2023 Corbin Carroll (OF)2022 Michael Harris (OF)2021 Jonathan India (2B)2020 Devin Williams (RP)2019 Pete Alonso (1B)2018 Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF)2017 Cody Bellinger (1B/OF)2016 Cory Seager (SS)2015 Kris Bryant (3B)2014 Jacob deGrom (SP)2013 Jose Fernandez (SP)This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.