MLB Rookie of the Year Odds & Favorites 2026: Yesavage, McLean Favorites Ahead of WBC
Trey Yesavage dazzled throughout the postseason for the Toronto Blue Jays and Nolan McLean was fantastic in his brief debut for the New York Mets, and they sit atop the MLB Rookie of the Year odds in the AL and NL, respectively.
For his part, McLean will represent Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, so his performance could have a dramatic impact on the NL odds. The major storylines with this award during the preseason always center around roster decisions, so let's dive into the odds and then look at some of those situations.
🔢 MLB Rookie of the Year odds 2026: American League
Latest MLB Rookie of the Year odds for the American League via our best sports betting sites.
🔢 MLB Rookie of the Year odds 2026: National League
Latest MLB Rookie of the Year odds for the National League via our best sports betting apps.
👀 MLB Rookie of the Year odds 2026: What to watch in spring training
As I noted in our look at MLB rookies to know before spring training 2026, some of the biggest contenders face question marks surrounding their status on Opening Day.
A player such as Konnor Griffin for the Pittsburgh Pirates - who sits as the third-biggest favorite in the NL - seemingly has more of a simple path to making his team's roster early in the season than Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle - who's sixth in the AL ROY odds - does.
These are situations you'll want to track throughout spring training and pounce on those odds whenever we get reports that those players might start the season in the majors.
Japanese pros Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto are more or less locks to play every day for the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively. So, they profile as safer bets here in the preseason.
And remember, there's always one or two players way down the oddsboard who seemingly come out of nowhere to serve as MLB Rookie of the Year contenders, so take a long look at the odds across our best sports betting sites and see if you can spot any names you recognize, whether they play for your favorite team or you've seen them on top prospect lists.
One brief look below, and you'll see Nick Kurtz won last year despite opening the season with +6600 odds. Now he's one of my 10 MLB players to watch this season 2026. You never know, you may uncover this year's Kurtz before his price gets significantly shorter.
📈 MLB Rookie of the Year opening odds
Odds from November 2025 via DraftKings.
| American League | Odds | National League | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Yesavage | +190 | Nolan McLean | +300 |
| Kevin McGonigle | +550 | Sal Stewart | +500 |
| Samuel Basallo | +700 | Moises Ballesteros | +700 |
| Connelly Early | +900 | JJ Wetherholt | +700 |
| Chase DeLauter | +900 | Bubba Chandler | +700 |
| Carter Jensen | +1000 | Jonah Tong | +1300 |
| Travis Bazzana | +1100 | Bryce Eldridge | +1300 |
| Walker Jenkins | +1200 | Owen Caissie | +1500 |
| Payton Tolle | +1500 | Justin Crawford | +1700 |
| Colt Emerson | +2200 | Joe Mack | +1900 |
| Brice Matthews | +2500 | Rhett Lowder | +2000 |
| Jhostynxon Garcia | +2800 | Quinn Matthews | +2500 |
| Harry Ford | +4000 | Carson Benge | +2500 |
| Spencer Jones | +5000 | Andrew Painter | +2500 |
| George Lombard Jr. | +5000 | Alex Freeland | +2500 |
📜 AL Rookie of the Year betting history
| Year | Player | Position | Preseason odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nick Kurtz | 1B | +6600 |
| 2024 | Luis Gil | SP | N/A |
| 2023 | Gunnar Henderson | SS | +250 |
| 2022 | Julio Rodriguez | OF | +400 |
| 2021 | Randy Arozarena | OF | +350 |
| 2020 | Kyle Lewis | OF | OFF |
| 2019 | Yordan Alvarez | DH/OF | +2000 |
| 2018 | Shohei Ohtani | DH/SP | N/A |
| 2017 | Aaron Judge | OF | N/A |
| 2016 | Michael Fulmer | SP | N/A |
| 2015 | Carlos Correa | SS | N/A |
📜 NL Rookie of the Year betting history
| Year | Player | Position | Preseason odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drake Baldwin | C | +2000 |
| 2024 | Paul Skenes | SP | +3000 |
| 2023 | Corbin Carroll | OF | +400 |
| 2022 | Michael Harris | OF | OFF |
| 2021 | Jonathan India | 2B | OFF |
| 2020 | Devin Williams | RP | OFF |
| 2019 | Pete Alonso | 1B | +600 |
| 2018 | Ronald Acuna | OF | N/A |
| 2017 | Cody Bellinger | OF | N/A |
| 2016 | Corey Seager | SS | N/A |
| 2015 | Kris Bryant | 3B/OF | N/A |
❓ MLB Rookie of the Year FAQs
Who are the Rookie of the Year favorites?
Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage is the AL favorite while getting betting odds of +320, and New York Mets hurler Nolan McLean is the NL favorite at +370.
When will the Rookie of the Year winners be announced?
The MLB Rookie of the Year Award winners last year were announced on Monday, Nov. 10. We expect the 2026 awards to be announced sometime in mid-November.
Who won the Rookie of the Year awards last year?
Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz and Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin took the honors in the AL and NL, respectively.
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