MLB Rookie of the Year 2023 Race: AL & NL Odds, Candidates & Stats

Success as a rookie isn’t an indicator of future success, but there are many MLB stars who have taken home Rookie of the Year honors after excelling early on.

In fact, the two current MLB MVP favorites, Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr., took ROY honors in 2018. And while he didn’t win Rookie of the Year honors, current AL Cy Young Award favorite Gerrit Cole made a big impression as a rookie as well.

Five years later, Ohtani, the MLB home run leader, is poised to potentially challenge Aaron Judge’s American League home run record. Acuna, meanwhile, could put up 40 homers and twice as many stolen bases.

Will any of this year’s rookie standouts reach superstardom as the likes of Ohtani, Acuna, and Mike Trout have? That remains to be seen, but there are a number of new names on the scene who have stood out over the first few months of the 2023 season.

With the MLB All-Star break behind us, the Rookie of the Year picture is looking rather clear in both the AL and NL. In the AL, there are three candidates leading the ROY race, while the NL race is a bit more cut and dry–for now.

You can find a breakdown of the AL and NL Rookie of the Year races below, but first, let’s take a look at the odds.

MLB Rookie of the Year 2023 Odds

Odds are as of Sunday, July 23, 2023.

AL Rookie of the Year Odds

• Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox +190
• Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles +190
• Josh Jung, Texas Rangers +220
• Hunter Brown, Houston Astros +2500
• Tanner Bibee, Cleveland Guardians +2500

NL Rookie of the Year Odds

• Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks -1000
• Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds +2000
• Elly de la Cruz, Cincinnati Reds +2500
• Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets +3000
• Kodai Senga, New York Mets +3000

MLB Rookie of the Year 2023 Candidates & Stats

AL Rookie of the Year Candidates

Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox (Stats Through 86 Games: .319 BA, 22 2B, 11 HR, 51 RBI, 52 R, 8-8 SB)

Whether or not experienced players from the Japanese or Korean leagues should be eligible for Rookie of the Year honors remains a major debate.

But unless the rules change, they are. As a result, Yoshida could join Ohtani, Kaz Sasaki, Ichiro, and Hideo Nomo as Japanese standouts to make the leap from NPB to MLB and win Rookie of the Year honors.

Yoshida hit .327 across seven NPB seasons, and all he has done in his first MLB campaign is continue to hit. He hit only .167 in his first 13 games, but he hit the .300 mark on May 3 and largely has remained there since.

Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles (Stats Through 89 Games: .247 BA, 12 2B, 5 3B, 16 HR, 43 RBI, 53 R, 5-7 SB)

Henderson got his feet wet last season as part of Baltimore’s ultimately unsuccessful push to reach the postseason, playing 30 games and hitting .259 in 116 at-bats.

That was more than just a little taste of action, but it wasn’t too much to hamper his MLB Rookie of the Year eligibility for this season.

Winning those honors would be secondary to winning the AL East title or leading the Orioles to the playoffs, but he has put himself in the thick of the race after sitting at just .199 on May 29.

Josh Jung, Texas Rangers (Stats Through 97 Games: .273 BA, 21 2B, 19 HR, 59 RBI, 62 R)

The Rangers, who are chasing their first AL West title since 2016, have benefitted from bringing in a lot of new faces and splashing some serious cash.

But there’s also Jung, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2019 draft and is playing a prominent role in the Rangers’ rise in the MLB standings.

Like Henderson, Jung got his feet wet last season, playing 26 games and hitting .204 in 98 at-bats. And as has been the case with Henderson and the Orioles, that experience is paying off for Jung and the Rangers.

NL Rookie of the Year Candidates

Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks (Stats Through 95 Games: .284 BA, 20 2B, 4 3B, 21 HR, 54 RBI, 72 R, 29-32 SB)

Could Carroll do the MLB Rookie of the Year/MVP double this season?

Acuna, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts have pulled away from the field in the NL MVP race, but Carroll is in the mix due to dazzling for the Diamondbacks, who are eyeing their first playoff berth since 2017.

While Acuna’s chase for history is generating deserved attention, Carroll is making his own run at joining the 40-40 club. If he comes close, he will have a high finish in the MVP voting in addition to a Rookie of the Year win.

Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds (Stats Through 59 Games: .305 BA, 17 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 46 R, 8-12 SB)

If the Reds are able to win their first NL Central title since 2012, rookies will be a big reason why.

Out of that bunch, which includes Spencer Steer (.277 BA, 14 HR, 55 RBI) pitcher Andrew Abbott (5-2, 2.10 ERA in his first nine starts), and the next guy on this list, McLain may be in the best position in this race. But with Carroll having such a significant head start, he isn’t in a particularly favorable position.

That said, as with fellow MLB Rookie of the Year hopefuls Henderson, Jung, and Carroll, that is secondary to helping a franchise that hasn’t had a lot of recent success reach the postseason or win a division title.

Elly de la Cruz, Cincinnati Reds (Stats Through 40 Games: .273 BA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 32 R, 17-21 SB)

Like McLain, de la Cruz is behind in this race because Carroll had such a huge head start. However, he is in the mix because he is already in the conversation as one of the most exciting players in baseball.

Is it premature? Some may think so, but you don’t see someone steal second, third, and home in quick succession, which de la Cruz did against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month.

Where to Bet on MLB Rookie of the Year Odds

Many online sportsbooks that offer MLB Rookie of the Year odds throughout the season, and in addition to being able to bet on those odds, you can also bet on the other major awards, World Series odds, and make daily MLB picks on games from Opening Day until the final game of the Fall Classic.

There are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for MLB betting, but here are some that we highly recommend. If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.