2026 Rookie of the Year Odds: Murakami Mashes Way to Top of Board

Robert Criscola - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Robert Criscola • Betting Analyst 11+ years betting experience
Updated: Apr 27, 2026 , 05:34 PM ET • 7 min read

Munetaka Murakami has been a home-run hitting machine of late, and now he's the one to beat in the AL ROY odds. Plus, an update on the NL ROY race.

Munetaka Murakami Chicago White Sox MLB
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami.

Munetaka Murakami just can't stop hitting home runs.

The Chicago White Sox slugger has six dingers in his last nine games, and he now finds himself atop the AL Rookie of the Year odds over Tigers standout Kevin McGonigle.

Let's explore the markets and MLB odds for AL and NL Rookie of the Year.

Odds to win 2026 AL Rookie of the Year

Player DraftKings
White Sox Munetaka Murakami  +155
Tigers Kevin McGonigle +220
Guardians Chase DeLauter  +500
Guardians Parker Messick +1100
Royals Carter Jensen   +1700
Red Sox Connelly Early +2200
Blue Jays Kazuma Okamoto +2200
Orioles Samuel Basallo +2800
Red Sox Payton Tolle +3500
Blue Jays Trey Yesavage +4000

Odds as of 4-27 from DraftKings, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our DraftKings promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

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Odds to win 2026 NL Rookie of the Year

Player DraftKings
Reds Sal Stewart +130
Mets Nolan McLean +250
Pirates Konnor Griffin +900
Cardinals JJ Wetherholt  +1100
Cubs Moises Ballesteros  +1500
Phillies Andrew Painter +2000
Marlins Owen Caissie   +2200
Pirates Bubba Chandler +2500
Phillies Justin Crawford  +3000
Rockies TJ Rumfield +4000

Odds as of 4-27.

MLB Rookie of the Year futures bets

Konnor Griffin didn't spend enough time in Triple-A for his Rookie of the Year odds to crater, and so I didn't get a bet in on him. He dropped to +600 and shortened to +260 after being called up.

While he has just one hit in 16 plate appearances, it's too early to pull the plug on expectations, and books know this. You're not going to suddenly get a sweetheart deal just because a 19-year-old hasn't racked up a bunch of production in four games. 

Bet Odds Bet date Units
Phillies Andrew Painter +3000 March 24 0.25
Mets Carson Benge +2000 March 11 0.25
Pirates Bubba Chandler +1400 February 25 0.25
Guardians Chase DeLauter +2000 February 25 0.25

I am feeling pretty good about my stable of picks so far, as only Bubba Chandler has moved in the opposite direction (+2200). However, Andrew Painter had a bit of a stumbling block in his second start, surrendering nine hits while notching just one strikeout over four innings vs. the Giants.

Still, Chase DeLauter is looking like the real deal, slashing .286/.333/.714, with an MLB-leading five home runs in 10 games. At +320, the spring line of +2000 is looking like a fabulous value.


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Past Rookie of the Year winners

Previous AL RoY winners

Although all players have an equal chance of winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award, the honor has been claimed disproportionately by outfielders since its inception in 1949. Outfielders have 24 victories compared to 17 for pitchers and 17 for shortstops. Catchers are bringing up the rear with just two ROY victories over the past 73 years.

Year Player
2025 Athletics Nick Kurtz (1B)
2024 Yankees Luis Gil (SP)
2023 Orioles Gunnar Henderson (3B/SS)
2022 Mariners Julio Rodriguez (OF)
2021 Rays Randy Arozarena (OF)
2020 Mariners Kyle Lewis (OF)
2019 Astros Yordan Alvarez (OF)
2018 AngelsShohei Ohtani (P/OF)
2017 Yankees Aaron Judge (OF)
2016 Tigers Michael Fulmer (SP)
2015 Astros Carlos Correa (SS)
2014 White SoxJose Abreau (1B)
2013 Rays Wil Myers (OF)

Popular MLB futures markets

Previous NL RoY winners

No franchise has won more Rookie of the Year awards than the Dodgers. "The Blue Crew" have claimed 18 RoY trophies dating back to the club's early days in Brooklyn.

However, unlike the AL — where the West has been the recent home of the top rookies — the NL East has housed six of the last 13 RoYs, with a mix of outfielders, infielders, starting pitchers, a catcher, and even a reliever.

Year Player (Team)
2025 Braves Drake Baldwin (C)
2024 Pirates Paul Skenes (SP)
2023 Diamondbacks Corbin Carroll (OF)
2022 Braves Michael Harris (OF)
2021 Reds Jonathan India (2B)
2020 Brewers Devin Williams (RP)
2019 Mets Pete Alonso (1B)
2018 Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF)
2017 Dodgers Cody Bellinger (1B/OF)
2016 Dodgers Cory Seager (SS)
2015 Cubs Kris Bryant (3B)
2014 Mets Jacob deGrom (SP)
2013 Marlins Jose Fernandez (SP)

MLB Rookie of the Year Awards FAQ

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Robert Criscola - Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Robert M. Criscola’s road to becoming a Covers publishing editor began with an internship at Metro New York, which eventually turned into a freelance job at MetroBet covering many sports from a wagering angle, including horse racing. He continued to focus on “The Sport of Kings” by writing for shapperdacapper.com, danonymousracing.com, and informer.fanxt.com before joining the team at the TwinSpires Edge in 2019 as a regular contributor and weekend editor. “Crisco” began writing game previews for Covers in 2022 and joined the editing team in 2023.

His best advice for sports bettors? Bet with your head, not over it.

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