This year’s Rookie of the Year race carries added weight for the Braves. If Drake Baldwin wins, the club secures an extra draft pick at the end of the first round thanks to the Prospect Promotion Incentive. Implemented in 2022, the rule rewards teams that place top-100 prospects on the Opening Day roster rather than stashing them in the minors to manipulate service time.

For a while, Drake Baldwin was a clear favorite, but as we enter the final months of the season, he’s fallen behind a couple of guys in the race.

NL Rookie of the Year Odds

• Cade Horton — +140
• Isaac Collins — +180
• Drake Baldwin — +240

Less than a month ago, Drake Baldwin was a -175 favorite to win the award. That shifted about 10 days ago when Isaac Collins became the favorite, and now, there’s a new leader in the clubhouse, with Cade Horton emerging as a serious candidate for National League Rookie of the Year honors.

Horton owns a 2.88 ERA with a 3.70 FIP over 93.2 innings this season for the Chicago Cubs. It’s been a fantastic start for the 2022 7th overall selection, but if he wins the award, it would be a robbery.

Isaac Collins and Drake Baldwin are both having better seasons and playing in more everyday roles. They should be the clear frontrunners. That said, if these ever-changing odds have taught us anything over the last month, it’s that they can move a considerable amount in a short time.

On August 16th, Cade Horton was +1100 to win the award. Now, he’s the favorite. If Drake Baldwin can finish the season strong, he very much could become the third member of the organization to win the award since 2018, netting the Braves a very valuable draft pick in the process.