With the All-Star Game now behind us, all eyes are turning towards the postseason. Not only are teams vying for the 2023 World Series, but players are also positioning themselves for season awards. Let’s take a look at the MLB AL Rookie of the Year futures and who is best positioned to win the prestigious award this season.
2023 AL Rookie Of The Year Odds
| Player | Odds |
| Josh Jung | +125 |
| Masataka Yoshida | +250 |
| Gunnar Henderson | +300 |
| Hunter Brown | +1600 |
| Anthony Volpe | +3500 |
| Esteury Ruiz | +4000 |
| Tanner Bibee | +4000 |
| Taj Bradley | +5000 |
| Bryce Miller | +5000 |
| Yennier Cano | +5000 |
AL Rookie Of The Year Analysis
Josh Jung (+125)
Of all the possible MLB picks for the award, Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung currently has the best odds to win it at +125. The 25-year-old has been one of the most consistent hitters on one of the best American League teams.
Looking at his MLB player stats, Jung is hitting .280/.331/.504 with 19 home runs, 56 runs batted in, and 62 runs batted in over 347 at-bats. Amazingly, Jung has the same number of runs (31) and runs batted in (28) on the road and at home. He has just one more home run on the road than at home.
Jung’s performance has helped the Rangers in the MLB standings. They currently lead the AL West by two games over the Houston Astros.
Masataka Yoshida (+250)
If not for Jung’s breakout year, rookie Masatake Yoshida would have the strongest AL Rookie predictions. In 301 at-bats, Yoshida is hitting .316/.382/.492 with 10 home runs, 44 runs batted in, and 47 runs scored.
This offseason, the Boston Red Sox signed the 29-year-old Japanese star to a five-year, $90 million deal. In his first season in Major League Baseball, he is proving good on that deal.
Unfortunately for Yoshida, the Red Sox might be the most unlucky of any of the MLB teams. Despite being five games over .500, Boston sits last in the AL East, nine games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
Gunnar Henderson (+300)
The third-best odds for MLB AL Rookie of the Year futures belongs to Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson. At 54-35 and just two games back of the Rays in the AL East, Henderson has helped the Orioles to be one of the best storylines in the majors this season.
In 268 at bats, the 22-year-old third baseman is hitting .246/.342/.455 with 13 home runs, 37 runs batted in, 43 runs scored, and five stolen bases. He ranks second on the Orioles in home runs, trailing only Anthony Santander.
Despite the success, Henderson’s viability for the award might depend on how well the Orioles do down the stretch. Looking at their MLB schedule, they statistically have the second-hardest strength of schedule remaining of any of the MLB teams.
Hunter Brown (+1600)
As the only pitcher on the list, Hunter Brown has had a nice season for an injury-depleted Astros’ pitching staff. Looking at the MLB injury report, the team is without Lance McCullers Jr, Jose Urquidy, and Luis Garcia. With those injuries, the solid performance of Brown has been a lifesaver for the defending champions.
In 17 games this season, Brown is 6-6 with a 4.12 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and he has 111 strikeouts in 94 innings pitched. The real question for Brown is whether he can keep it up for an entire season. Before the All-Star break, he lost two starts, giving up eight earned runs in just seven innings
Anthony Volpe (+3500)
The last of the top-five favorites in terms of MLB AL Rookie of the Year futures is New York Yankees’ shortstop Anthony Volpe. Looking at his MLB player stats, Volpe has hit .216/.287/.395 with 13 home runs, 33 runs batted in, 38 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases in 306 at-bats.
His slash line alone shows that he is certainly behind the others on this list, making it more understandable why he has longer MLB odds to win the award than the other three.
Like Boston, the Yankees have suffered from playing in the AL East. At 49-22, they sit in fourth in the AL East, eight games behind the Rays for first place.
Who Will Be The 2023 AL Rookie Of The Year?
While all five are viable candidates to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, it really seems like a two-man race between Josh Jung and Masataka Yoshida at this point.
While Jung has been practically the same hitter regardless of being at home or on the road, Yoshida has benefited far more by playing at Fenway Park. In fact, he has 16 more runs batted in, 15 more runs scored, nine more doubles, and 10 fewer strikeouts at home than on the road.
This inconsistency makes it far harder to bet on Yoshida. For that reason, take Josh Jung at +150 to win the 2023 AL Rookie of the Year award.
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