NL & AL Rookie of the Year Odds 2025: Who’s MLB’s Next Young Star? (Updated May 2025)

The American League Rookie of the Year race has a clear favorite right now, with a wide-open field of contenders vying for second place. Jacob Wilson was at -125 odds last week, and is now becoming more of a favorite at -175.

Wilson is hitting .341 through 47 games, all while playing good defense at shortstop for the A’s. If he keeps up those two things, Wilson is going to run away with the AL Rookie of the Year.

While Wilson in the favorite, the Yankees and Red Sox both have rookies that are making their presence felt on the board right now, with Jasson Dominguez and Will Warren off to solid starts in the Bronx and Kristian Campbell playing a big role in Boston.

2025 National League Rookie of the Year Odds

The Atlanta Braves may not have gotten off to the best start this season, but their rookies certainly have, with catcher Drake Baldwin and pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver being the current leaders in the clubhouse.

With that said, this race does not have the same clear favorite compared to what we just saw in the AL Rookie of the Year odds.

Luisangel Acuna, Hye-Seong Kim and Augstin Ramirez are all getting their feet wet in consistent roles, and could make a push towards the award with more sustained hot stretches later in the season.

Preseason favorite Dylan Crews has gotten off to a rough start, but still has plenty of time to get back in the race. And prospects who have yet to get their first shot at all are still lingering on the bottom of the board, like Bubba Chandler for the Pirates.

AL Rookie of the Year Odds: American League Favorites

The American League Rookie of the Year race is Jacob Wilson’s to lose, but Jasson Dominguez could still make a real push with the talent that he possesses.

Dominguez has homered four times in his last 15 games played, with the most recent one being a walk-off home run.

If Dominguez starts to get into his power more, he can bash his way past Wilson to being the AL Rookie of the Year if he leads all rookies in home runs by a wide margin. If he did win, that would mark the second year in a row where the Yankees will have produced the Rookie of the Year.

Last year, Luis Gil won the Rookie of the Year for the Yankees, meanwhile catcher Austin Wells finished third. Similarly, the Yankees have two of the top three favorites in terms of betting odds this year, as Will Warren now has the third-best oods.

Due to various injuries, Warren has gotten the chance to be in the Yankees rotation all season long and he has made the most of the opportunity. So far, Warren has pitched to a 4.05 ERA with 60 strikeouts across 46 2/3 innings pitched and 10 starts.

Might not be the flashiest numbers in the world, but that’s still getting great production out of a rookie, and his stuff is good enough that those numbers could even get better as he gets more accumulated to facing big league lineups.

Big-Time Dark Horses for AL ROY in 2025

A few really electric arms, and some players with star potential who have yet to really show it at the big league level. These are the main dark horses to keep an eye on right now.

Jackson Jobe started the season with +800 odds to win the AL Rookie of the Year, yet those odds have been dropping all year. So far, Jobe has not quite set the world on fire in the same way that we saw Paul Skenes or even Luis Gil start their ROY campaigns last season.

The Tigers’ right-hander is currently pitching to a 4.12 ERA across his first eight starts. He’s dealt with some command issues, but that’s to be expected for a 22-year-old getting his first string of consistent starts at the MLB level.

Jobe’s on a good team, he’s 4-0, and he’s got all the potential in the world to make a real push for this award while the season goes on. Last week, he was at +4000, now he is back up to +3000. I would buy stock in him now.

All the arguments for betting on Jobe can also be attributed to Jack Leiter, which is why they share identical odds right now. Leiter is not on as good a team at the moment, but the season is still early, and that doesn’t matter quite as much as it does for other awards.

Nick Kurtz is starting to heat up for the A’s, which could make him an interesting bat to take a flier on.

Cam Smith has already played more games in the majors than he did in the minors after getting drafted last season, so it is no surprise that there has been a learning curve for him to start. But he could round into form like Wyatt Langford did last season.

Roman Anthony has yet to debut, but is the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, so you never know if he can make a push once he’s up, but that’s still a great unknown. Chandler Simpson is already a lock to lead all American League rookies in stolen bases, but it’s hard to see him doing enough other things to win the award. I’d stay away from these two for now.

NL Rookie of the Year Odds: National League Favorites

If the Braves can find a way to keep Drake Baldwin in the lineup consistently, he’s got the type of bat that can run away with this award. Yet his stiffest competition is one of the pitchers on the staff he is helping catch, as AJ Smith-Shawver is finally breaking out for the Braves.

In the same division, the Mets have Luisangel Acuna who is playing a good amount of second base for them to start the season. Acuna is leading the Mets in stolen bases, as his speed and defense have made him a real asset to their lineup.

Hye-Seong Kim is looking to play a similar role with the Dodgers, and he has gotten off to a scorching hot start, hitting .378 in his first 16 games.

The real sleeper amongst the favorites, however, is Agustin Ramirez, who has the benefit of being on a rebuilding team where his playing time is going to be there. Kim, Acuna, and even Baldwin have to worry about veterans eating into their playing time, while Ramirez has an open runway.

Big-Time Dark Horses for NL ROY in 2025

Dylan Crews has gone from favorite to dark horse, which always makes for an intriguing Rookie of the Year bet this early in the season, but I would wait to see if it got worse before assuming it would get better. Last week he had +550 odds. This week, they are +1100. Why buy now if that trend could continue?

If there is one guy to buy stock in now it might be Dalton Rushing.

Some prospects need the door opened by an opportunity to grab their spot on the big league roster. Others bash their foot through the door, leaving the big league club with no option by lighting it up in the minor leagues.

Rushing falls into the latter category, as he posted a .938 OPS in Triple-A through 31 games before earning his promotion to the big league club. The only question for Rushing is playing time, but he’s a fun name to take a shot on right now.

How to Follow the MLB Rookie of the Year Odds

When betting on awards futures, timing is everything. Knowing when it is right to strike is half the battle in making sure you are finding value on the board. Consistently keeping tabs on the odds each week will show you how a player’s market is fluncuating, which can help you find the right time to place your future’s bet.

There might not be much value in taking Jacob Wilson right now since he is such a favorite, but before the season, you could have gotten him at +700 odds. Instead, looking at another rookie who has the ability to ignite like Jasson Dominguez may be a better bet, and it may be wise to hop on it now before he has another hot week and the odds get worse for you.

At the end of the year, BBWAA voters typically base their criteria on who wins these awards largely on stats, but narrative and team role certainly do factor in. Last year, a great case could have been made for Jackson Merrill, but the narrative and sensation that was Paul Skenes was too much for him to topple. Keeping all those aspects in mind can help you pick the right horse in this race.