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The Atlanta Braves started the season losing seven straight games but have responded in a big way to get their record back up to .500. A major reason is because of two up-and-coming rookies who are playing lights out right now.
AJ Smith-Shawver and Drake Baldwin are both playing great baseball. Smith-Shawver is in a peculiar situation as he has been in the big leagues before, but due to service time, he is still considered a rookie. The 22-year-old starter is 3-2 with a 2.33 ERA and has 40 strikeouts in seven starts.
Baldwin is a young prized catcher who began the season as the starter due to Sean Murphy's injury. Even with Murphy's return, Baldwin is quickly establishing himself in the majors. The 24-year-old catcher is hitting .360 with four homers and 12 RBIs. He has an OPS of .981 and a 0.9 WAR. He is producing at a high level in a position that does not see this type of success often.
As a result of these numbers, the sportsbooks are taking notice. Both Smith-Shawver and Baldwin have jumped into the lead for the top odds. This award race has seen a few different names at the top, including Dylan Crews, Roki Sasaki, and, most recently, Agustin Ramirez of the Miami Marlins.
Ramirez is off to a blazing hot start with the Marlins and jumped Sasaki for the top spot a few days ago. Now, Smith-Shawver leads all rookies on FanDuel.
AJ Smith-Shawver: +450
Drake Baldwin: +600
Agustin Ramirez: +650
Luisangel Acuna: +650
Dylan Crews: +850
Roki Sasaki: +2000
This race will be tight for the next few months unless one of these names continues to take over.
Smith-Shawver's odds have been near the top since before the season began. He has been a likely candidate since the start of the campaign, and if he continues to pitch at the rate he is, he will win this award by a landslide. Taking the Braves' right-hander with these odds is a smart idea before the odds start to get higher.
Once superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. returns to the lineup, Atlanta will once again be a threat in the National League.
