2024 MLB ROY odds: Jackson Merrill heavy favorite to win NL ROY; Skenes second

Major League Baseball

Updated Sep. 2, 2024 10:21 a.m. ET

In the NL’s race for MLB Rookie of the Year, Jackson Merrill continues to shine as he puts more distance between himself and Paul Skenes to win the award.

At one point, it looked like Skenes was going to run away with the NL ROY. In early August, he had become a huge favorite at -5000. But now, the Pirates ace is second.

Let’s take a look at the ROY betting board in the National League at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Sept. 2

2024 NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ODDS:

Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres: -800 (bet $10 to win $11.25 total)

Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)

Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)

Tyler Fitzgerald, San Francisco Giants: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)

Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs: +15000 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)

As of Aug. 23, Merrill was second on the board at -105. But on Aug. 25, he helped lift his Padres to a 3-2 victory over the Mets with a walk-off home run.

After that performance, his odds shortened to -140, and he claimed the top spot on the board. That line has shifted to -800 from +1500 over the last month.

Padres’ Jackson Merrill gets robbed of extra bases by Cardinals’ Victor Scott II, shows appreciation after play

Merrill now has 21 homers on the year, and the Padres are currently 5 games back of the first-place Dodgers in the NL West.

When FOX Sports MLB writer Rowan Kavner asked FOX MLB lead analyst John Smoltz if he thought Merrill had done enough to supplant Skenes in the Rookie of the Year race, he said the following: “He has. I would give him an inside track at finishing the year strong to get him over the edge, because I’m not so sure we’re going to see Skenes finish out the year, especially if Pittsburgh falls out of the playoffs; that could hurt him in voting.”

From Aug. 23 to Aug. 26, Skenes moved to +110 from -130. At the beginning of August, those odds had gotten as short as -180. Now he’s at +400.

Since being called up on May 11, the dynamic right-hander has started 18 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has an 8-2 record, 2.23 ERA and 136 strikeouts.

Now, let’s take a look at the ROY odds in the American League as of Sept. 2.

2024 AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ODDS:

Colton Cowser, Baltimore Orioles: -260 (bet $10 to win $13.85 total)

Austin Wells, New York Yankees: +190 (bet $10 to win $29 total)

Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)

Mason Miller, Oakland A’s: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)

Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)

Luis Gil, New York Yankees: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)

Cowser is holding steady as the odds-on favorite at -260. However, over the past two weeks, those odds have lengthened from -550.

In mid-July, his odds to win the award were +550.

Kavner praised Cowser in his recent MLB rookie power rankings.

“Cowser is pacing the rookie field with [20] home runs, and as powerful as he is at the plate, I’m not sure he gets enough credit for how sensational he has been defensively. By outs above average, he has been one of the best outfielders in baseball.”

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