Pirates Had Leading Rookie Of The Year Candidate Before Demoting Him

Oneil Cruz was the favorite for NL Rookie of the Year, but he's now second behind Seiya Suzuki. The Pirates sent him to AAA camp, so he won't start the season with the big club. The winner of this award is usually determined by the opportunity to play and the lack of it. Other candidates include Bryson Stott and Matt Vierling. They were not part of spring training predictions. Last year's winner was Ke'Bryan Hayes. He was injured and had a disappointing season.

Pirates had leading Rookie Of The Year candidate before demoting him. Cruz played all of two games at the major league level last year after just six games in AAA. He played two October games as a Pirate and had three hits, a home run, three RBIs and the hardest-hit ball by any Pirate in Statcast-recorded history at 118.2 mph. In the delayed spring training, Cruz picked up where he left off with two homers and a 1.066 OPS in five games.

Suzuki is now equal to Cruz at +380 with DraftKings and Betway. Suzuki has a better chance of playing time in the MLB because of a new five-year $85 million contract with the Cubs. He excelled in Japan as an excellent contact hitter with solid punch. No player who has moved from the Nippon Professional League to the National League has ever been Rookie of the Year.

Bryson Stott and Vierling are the young players who could win Rookie of the Year. The last Phillie to win was Jason Bay in 2004. Stotts played in three minor league levels last year and impressed in the Arizona Fall League. Viersling played 77 games with Philadelphia last season. He's a +3500 favorite on FanDuel.