Breaking down this year’s NL Rookie of the Year race
No official date is set, but MLB will probably announce its annual Rookie of the Year winners in November.
In the National League, four players have the best odds of winning, per BetMGM as of Thursday (Oct. 17): Two pitchers from the NL Central and two outfielders who helped their teams to the postseason.
Here are the top four in order, from least likely winner to most likely winner.
LHP Shota Imanaga | Chicago Cubs
His season: Imanaga, a 30-year-old southpaw who made his MLB debut on Opening Day after eight seasons in the Japanese Central League, put up numbers that, in most years, would be good enough to win Rookie of the Year. He went 15-3 and finished with a 2.91 ERA, 1.021 WHIP and 174/28 K/BB ratio across 173 1/3 innings (29 starts).
His outlook: Unfortunately for Imanaga, he didn’t end the season as the best rookie pitcher in his own division (more on that pitcher later). He should continue to be a formidable starter for several years, but odds are (+20000) he won’t add Rookie of the Year to his resume.
His season: Chourio has some advantages over Imanaga. For one, he’s a “traditional” rookie (20 years old). Also, unlike Imanaga’s Cubs, Chourio and the Brewers made it to the postseason, winning the NL Central by 10 games.
That probably contributes to Chourio’s odds being at +10000 to Imanaga’s +20000. Chourio played a big part in the team’s success, finishing the season with 21 homers, 79 RBI, and a .275 batting average in 528 at-bats while additionally joining the 20-20 club with 22 stolen bases.
