Baseball season is upon us, and there are many rookies to look forward to watching. Check out our MLB odds series as we hand out our National League Rookie of the Year prediction and pick.
Some really good players have won Rookie of the Year in the past. The recent National League winners include Michael Harris II, Pete Alonso, Ronald Acuna Jr, and Devin Williams. Winning this award can push a young player to stardom, and even earn him an extension. The National League Rookie of the Year is a prestigious award, and there are a few players that have a good chance to win it in 2023.
Here are the 2023 MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel
MLB Odds: National League Rookie of the Year Odds
Corbin Carroll: +350
Jordan Walker: +450
Kodai Senga: +800
Miguel Vargas: +1000
Ezequiel Tovar: +1000
Elly De La Cruz: +1600
Francisco Alvarez: +1600
Brett Baty: +1600
Spencer Steer: +2500
Hayden Wesneski: +4000
Brandon Pfaadt: +5000
2023 National League Rookie of the Year Favorite Picks
Corbin Carroll +350:
Carroll has already done enough to earn an extension from the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2022, when called up, Carroll hit .260 with four home runs and 14 RBI. In addition to that, he hit nine doubles and two triples. He stole just two bases in his 32 games, but in 93 games at the minor league level in 2022, he stole 31 bases. Carroll has the ability to hit 20 home runs in a full season and hit for average. He has some big-league experience under his belt. In spring training, Carroll is hitting .342 in 34 at-bats with a 1.128 and five stolen bases. The young kid has a bright future, and it could start with a rookie of the year award.
Jordan Walker +450:
Walker has officially made the St. Louis Cardinals opening day roster, and there is a lot of reason for excitement. In spring training, Walker has hit .277 with three home runs and nine RBI in 65 at-bats. He has some raw power that will be shown off at Busch Stadium. In the Minors last season, Walker hit .306 with 19 home runs and 68 RBI to go along with 22 stolen bases. That mixture of speed and power is hard to come by. Walker is a real threat to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases. Teams will be forced to pitch to Jordan Walker this season as well. With Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in the lineup, many teams would much rather throw to a rookie. He will have plenty of chances to showcase his abilities and expect him to do well.
Kodai Senga +800:
Kodai Senga is one of the most exciting rookies in the MLB this year. Coming from Japan, Senga had a lot of interest from MLB clubs. Ultimately, the New York Mets landed the Japanese right-hander. He immediately impressed this spring. When throwing to teammates, they described his splitter as a ‘ghost' pitch. Add that to his mid to upper-90s fastball, the Mets got themselves a fantastic pitcher. If Senga can carry over his solid pitching from Japan into the MLB, he will be a shoe-in for this award.
Ezequiel Tovar +1000:
Tovar was called up to the Colorado Rockie for nine games in 2022. Although he struggled in the small sample size, Tovar has the potential to do big things. In spring training, He has two home runs and six RBI while hitting .286 in 49 at-bats. In the Minor leagues last year, Tovar hit .319 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI to go along with 17 stolen bases. He is another rookie with 20/20 potential, especially playing in Colorado. If Tovar can get the ball in the air with some exit velocity, the ball will fly. His ability to hit for average will be crucial. He is expected to make the opening-day roster in Colorado and Tovar will get the chance to showcase why he is one of the favorites to win rookie of the year.
2023 National League Rookie of the Year Sleeper Picks
Spencer Steer +2500:
Steer is likely to be the Cincinnati Reds' starter at third base. This is for good reason too. He was called up at the end of last season, and he hit a pair of home runs. He has some true power, and playing in Cincinnati, this power will come into play. Great American Ballpark is one of the more hitter-friendly parks in the MLB and Steer will get to play half his season there. In the minor leagues in 2022, Steer hit .274 with 23 home runs and an .879 OPS. If he can hit for that type of power and hit for a decent average, Steer will put himself in a good position to win this award.
Hayden Wesneski +4000:
Wesneski was just named the Chicago Cubs' fifth starter. He is one of the better rookie pitchers in all of baseball. He was called up last season and pitched in six games while starting four. In those games, Wesneski had a 3-2 record while pitching to the tune of a 2.18 ERA in 33 innings. He also had a WHIP below one. In spring training this year, Wesneski has pitched 17 innings, struck out 22, and has a 2.12 ERA. If Wesneski can produce like that all season, he will have a real chance to win the award.
Final 2023 National League Rookie of the Year Prediction and Pick
There are plenty of solid options to choose from. Corbin Carroll, Ezequiel Tovar, and Hayden Wesneski are all very solid picks as well. Other players not written about such as Brett Baty and Miguel Vargas are nice choices as well. However, Jordan Walker is in the best position. He is playing for a true contender in the Cardinals, and the National League Central is not the strongest division. You can expect a great rookie year from him.
Final 2023 National League Rookie of the Year Prediction and Pick: Jordan Walker +450
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