NL Rookie Of The Year Odds: Can Cubs’ Michael Busch Take Down Paul Skenes?

On Tuesday, Paul Skenes became one of just a handful of rookies to ever throw the first pitch for his league in an All-Star game. The young hurler boasts a 6-0 record with a 1.90 ERA, and as such, is the favorite for NL ROY at . Still it’s possible a hitter could re-enter the race and chase him down in the second half. Let’s dive into NL Rookie of the Year Odds and see if anyone is worth placing a bet on.

NL Rookie of the Year ODDS

Click on any of the NL ROY odds below to wager at betting sites in your area.

why skenes is vulnerable

The NL Wild Card race is a jumbled mess entering the All-Star break, with six teams within 1 1/2 games of the top spot. The Pirates themselves are 1 1/2 back. They actually enter the break with the longest winning streak in the NL at four games.

That said, if Pittsburgh falters and drops out of the race, we could see a situation where Skenes sees his pitch count and/or innings limited. To the chagrin of some Pirates fans and baseball enthusiasts, manager Derek Shelton removed Skenes from Thursday’s 1-0 win against the Brewers in the eighth inning despite the fact that the young hurler had a no-hitter in progress. Of course, this was a smart choice with the rookie being at 99 pitches. But it gave us a glimpse into what the second half could look like if the Pirates slide.

Pittsburgh wants Skenes to be available when the team is competitive. So it makes sense to limit his innings in the second half of the season. The White Sox did so with AL Cy Young candidate Garrett Crochet on Friday, only letting him throw 28 pitches in two innings. If Skenes gets a pitch count limit in the second half, it makes sense to target the NL Rookie of the Year odds and expand your portfolio. Enter Michael Busch.

THE CASE FOR MICHAEL BUSCH

The rookie first baseman has quietly put together a fantastic rookie campaign that has been swept under the rug thanks to Chicago’s first-half woes. He leads all rookies (amongst those qualified) in home runs (12), sits first in FanGraphs WAR, and is first in wRC+ amongst rookies. In fact, the lefty is 13th in overall wRC+ in the National League. That ranks ahead of All-Stars such as Alec Bohm of the Phillies and Elly De La Cruz of the Reds.

Busch faced struggles for a stretch in May, amassing 43 strikeouts in 108 plate appearances and a .208 average. He blamed those struggles on being too aggressive at the plate and chasing pitches out of the zone. Once the calendar turned over to June, however, he broke out of the slump and tallied a .297 average and a .848 OPS. He added an eight-game hitting streak this month that came to an end on Friday against the Cardinals.

Betting against Skenes is likely an exercise in futility at this point. But if you believe the Pirates ace will be limited in the second half, it may be worthwhile to add a hitter to your NL Rookie of the Year odds portfolio. The best available price on Michael Busch for NL ROY is .

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HONORABLE MENTION: reds OF RECE HINDS

Over the weekend, Reds outfielder Rece Hinds jumped into the conversation. During Saturday’s game against the Marlins, bettors could’ve nabbed him at +17000 to win NL ROY at FanDuel Sportsbook. The 6-foot-4 righty launched his fourth MLB homer in the third inning, only to follow that up with his fifth dinger of the year in the sixth. Ultimately, he’s behind the eight ball with only 26 at-bats thus far. But he does get the benefit of hitting in Cincinnati, an offense-friendly park.

The best available price for Rece Hinds to win NL ROY is . Best of luck betting NL ROY Odds!