2026 Rookie of the Year Odds: Wetherholt Holding Steady

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Ryan Waldschmidt is the latest NL rookie to debut, and he's suddenly among the betting favorites in the 2026 MLB Rookie of the Year odds.

I'm looking elsewhere on the Senior Circuit as I make my Rookie of the Year predictions, as I've got my sights on JJ Wetherholt.

Let's explore the markets and MLB odds for AL and NL Rookie of the Year.

Odds to win 2026 AL Rookie of the Year

Player

Munetaka Murakami

+150

Kevin McGonigle

+160

Chase DeLauter

+700

Kazuma Okamoto

+1100

Parker Messick

+1700

Carter Jensen

+2200

Trey Yesavage

+2500

Samuel Basallo

+2800

Payton Tolle

+3000

Travis Bazzana

+5000

Odds as of 5-11 from DraftKings, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our DraftKings promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

Odds to win 2026 NL Rookie of the Year

Player

Nolan McLean

+290

Sal Stewart

+340

JJ Wetherholt

+370

Konnor Griffin

+450

Moises Ballesteros

+800

Ryan Waldschmidt

+3500

TJ Rumfield

+4000

Bryce Eldridge

+5000

Odds as of 5-11.

MLB Rookie of the Year news

After Bryce Eldridge and Joe Mack became the latest NL rookies to get the call, the Arizona Diamondbacks followed suit by designating outfielder Alek Thomas for assignment and promoting top outfield prospect Ryan Waldschmidt.

He made a fairly quick impact, going 3-for-8 with a double and three RBI in his first three games. He struck out four times, too, but he showcased a 24.4% strikeout rate at Triple-A and a 17.6% rate across two minor-league levels in 2025, so I doubt he's suddenly a big K risk over the long haul.

Waldschmidt has speed and power. Maybe neither is at an elite level, but he is steady and may be better suited to navigate the ups and downs of a rookie campaign than some of his peers — we're seeing Sal Stewart struggle for the first time, for example.

I wouldn't put a bet on him to win NL ROY because he's a bit behind the 8-ball, but he's an intriguing wrinkle in the action.

MLB Rookie of the Year futures bets

Bet

Odds

Bet date

Units

JJ Wetherholt

+370

May 11

Andrew Painter

+3000

March 24

0.25

Carson Benge

+2000

March 11

0.25

Bubba Chandler

+1400

February 25

0.25

Chase DeLauter

+2000

February 25

0.25

My National League bets have all floundered to varying degrees, so I'll cut bait and grab St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt for one unit.

I like Nolan McLean at +2500 as a dark horse to win the NL Cy Young, so he's tempting here as a hedge alongside Wetherholt, but I'm going to single out the infielder.

With Sal Stewart scuffling, Wetherholt should have the shortest odds among position players. He's batting leadoff for the Cardinals and is displaying the power-speed combo that had him near the top of draft rankings ahead of 2024 when St. Louis took him seventh overall (an absolute fleecing).

His .250 BABIP also tells me that better days are coming for the .235/.350/.405 slash line. He's also the only qualified position-player rookie worth more than 1.0 fWAR on the Senior Circuit, and some of that comes from his elite glovework at the keystone.

Previous ROY picks thread

3/24: Painter

I can't shake the value of Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter at +3000, so I put .25 units on him, bringing my spring futures tally to one full unit for Rookie of the Year markets. So much can go wrong that I play it fairly conservatively before Opening Day. But Painter had similar hype to Paul Skenes before he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. Now, with a full season in the minors under his belt following the surgery, he's opening the season in the Phillies' rotation. And unless things go unfathomably sideways, I like him to stick around instead of Taijuan Walker when Zack Wheeler is healthy. Regardless, I expected the number to move off +3000, and when it didn't, I decided I'd take the plunge.

3/11: Benge

Carson Benge screamed through the minors in 2025, slashing .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 116 games across three levels. Even with a hiccup in Triple-A, I'm not deterred. He struck out just 17.7% of the time compared to a 13.1% walk rate while boasting a 150 wRC+. He basically looks like the next Kyle Tucker.

2/25: Chandler + DeLauter

Bubba Chandler wasn't as highly touted as Skenes, but he wasn't super far off, either. He posted a 1.83 ERA over his first 39 1/3 innings at Triple-A in 2024. Those numbers took a bit of a dive last season, but his first taste of MLB hitting went pretty well. The 4.02 ERA wasn't amazing, but he had a low walk rate, didn't surrender home runs, and had a 2.66 FIP that suggests at least some positive regression. With Griffin taking all the headlines at Pittsburgh Pirates camp, it's perhaps easy to forget that Chandler likely has a rotation spot on Opening Day unless things go all the way sideways this spring. His ace upside is enough to take a flier here.

Chase DeLauter is currently projected to open the season in the Cleveland Guardians outfield. Injuries have slowed his progression a bit, but he is a dangerous hitter, which is exactly what Cleveland needs. He doesn't strike out (15.8% K-rate in 42 minor-league games last year) and has major home run potential from the left side.

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Past Rookie of the Year winners

Previous AL RoY winners

Although all players have an equal chance of winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award, the honor has been claimed disproportionately by outfielders since its inception in 1949. Outfielders have 24 victories compared to 17 for pitchers and 17 for shortstops. Catchers are bringing up the rear with just two ROY victories over the past 73 years.

Year

Player

2025

Nick Kurtz (1B)

2024

Luis Gil (SP)

2023

Gunnar Henderson (3B/SS)

2022

Julio Rodriguez (OF)

2021

Randy Arozarena (OF)

2020

Kyle Lewis (OF)

2019

Yordan Alvarez (OF)

2018

Shohei Ohtani (P/OF)

2017

Aaron Judge (OF)

2016

Michael Fulmer (SP)

2015

Carlos Correa (SS)

2014

Jose Abreau (1B)

2013

Wil Myers (OF)

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Previous NL RoY winners

No franchise has won more Rookie of the Year awards than the Dodgers. "The Blue Crew" have claimed 18 RoY trophies dating back to the club's early days in Brooklyn.

However, unlike the AL — where the West has been the recent home of the top rookies — the NL East has housed six of the last 13 RoYs, with a mix of outfielders, infielders, starting pitchers, a catcher, and even a reliever.

Year

Player (Team)

2025

Drake Baldwin (C)

2024

Paul Skenes (SP)

2023

Corbin Carroll (OF)

2022

Michael Harris (OF)

2021

Jonathan India (2B)