AL Rookie of the Year odds, best bets: Is Witt worth hype in elite rookie class?

The 2021 AL Rookie of the Year race ended similarly to how it began, with preseason favorite Randy Arozarena rallying late in the year to fend off Astros pitcher Luis Garcia and fellow Rays teammate Wander Franco. All three were on the oddsboard to start the year, but Garcia was a distant long shot compared to the two Tampa Bay stars.

Will we see another favorite take home this award in 2022, or can another long shot finish what Garcia started? Here are the preseason odds to win AL Rookie of the Year at Barstool Sportsbook, along with a few of our favorites to cash in this market:

Bobby Witt Jr., Royals (+525)

Given how much hype there is around Witt's MLB debut, it's a bit surprising that he's not priced as the outright favorite in this market or at least at shorter odds. That speaks to just how talented this class of rookie-eligible prospects is entering the 2022 season.

Still, your money is best spent on Witt, who starts 2022 as baseball's No. 1 overall prospect, per MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, and is a virtual lock to make his Royals debut early this campaign. The former No. 2 pick is a potential five-tool star who finished top five in the minors in hits (144), home runs (33), runs (99), and RBIs (97) over his first full season.

Witt is hitting .500 with two dingers and five RBIs in 10 at-bats in spring training, where he's already drawing comparisons to Mike Trout thanks to his smooth swing and effortless power. Take a look for yourself:

Okay, so maybe comparing Witt to the greatest player of this generation is a stretch. But as far as this rookie class goes, have fun betting against him.

Shane Baz, Rays (+600)

You can get better odds than this on Baz, who is easily the pitcher with the best chance of competing with Witt and Co. in a class teeming with elite hitters. At whatever price, the Rays' top prospect is in an ideal spot to succeed in his first full season in the majors.

Baz showed his dominance in 2021, boasting a 1.76 ERA and 12.5 K/9 in 10 starts at the Triple-A level. That success carried over to his MLB debut, as his 2.03 ERA and 36.7% strikeout rate were the best by any rookie pitcher with at least three starts.

The 22-year-old already has an impressive four-pitch mix with one of the best fastballs in the game, and he earned the trust of the organization to start Game 2 of the ALDS against the Red Sox. That bodes well for his chances of getting enough innings in 2022 to show why he's worthy of a ROY nod.

Grayson Rodriguez, Orioles (+3300)

With the top handful of prospects commanding the field, you need elite upside to justify a bet on any of the players further down the board. Who better than Rodriguez, who enters 2022 as the consensus top pitching prospect in baseball?

Sure, the Orioles righty will likely spend more time in the minors than, say, Baz or Angels prospect Reid Detmers - both of whom project to have a more immediate role in their team's rotation (albeit at shorter odds). Yet Rodriguez was the one who claimed his spot atop the pitching prospect ranks in 2021, spinning a 2.36 ERA in 103 minor-league innings with a jaw-dropping 14.1 K/9.

Rodriguez's forceful fastball and plus-command should translate right away whenever he makes his big-league debut for Baltimore, which plans to start him in Triple-A to refine his four-pitch mix before throwing him into the fire. He has the frame and profile to handle it and is as talented of a dart throw as they come.

Other notable bets: Reid Detmers (+2500), Nick Pratto (+4000), Josh Lowe (+8000)

C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at [email protected].