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AL Rookie of the Year odds: Can any late call-ups catch up to Rodriguez, Pena?

Duane Burleson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

As we detailed in our breakdown of the NL Rookie of the Year race, it's never too late to make a surprise run at the award - even for those called up after the first two months of the MLB season.

It's a bit tougher of an ask in the AL, where Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez and Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena have posted strong numbers to start their big-league careers. Still, never say never. Yordan Alvarez won unanimously in 87 games just three years ago, and Wander Franco nearly made a run at this award in 70 contests last season.

So, who else has a shot at a similar surge? Here are the current AL Rookie of the Year odds and three players who could win the award despite a late start:

PLAYER ODDS
Julio Rodriguez +115
Jeremy Pena +225
Bobby Witt Jr. +800
Adey Rutschman +2000
Joe Ryan +2000
Spencer Torkelson +3000
M.J. Melendez +4500
Jake Burger +5000
Reid Detmers +5000
George Kirby +5000
Steven Kwan +5000
Shane Baz +6000
Nolan Jones +6500
Triston Casas +9000
Luis Gil +10000
Sam Huff +10000
Daulton Jefferies +10000
Grayson Rodriguez +10000
Cole Winn +10000
Jose Siri +10000
Kyle Bradish +10000
Josh Winder +10000
Gabriel Moreno +10000
Jordan Balazovic +15000
D.L. Hall +15000
Josh Jung +15000
Josh Lowe +15000
Richie Palacios +15000
Nick Pratto +15000
Matt Brash +15000
Vidal Brujan +20000
Jarren Duran +20000
Riley Greene +25000
Jordan Groshans +25000

Shane Baz, Rays (+6000)

Baz entered the season with the third-shortest odds to win AL Rookie of the Year and by far the shortest odds for any pitcher in the field. A lengthy rehab and tough MLB debut Saturday has dampened expectations, but this is still a stellar price on a player we've already seen dominate at the MLB level.

The Rays' high-velocity righty was virtually untouchable in a short stint a year ago when he boasted a 2.03 ERA and a ridiculous 0.675 WHIP in 13 1/3 innings to close the regular season. However, he got rocked in the postseason, and subsequent elbow surgery delayed his debut in 2022, which lasted just 2 1/3 innings thanks to inconsistencies with his fastball.

Still, despite some issues locating his heater Saturday, he looks like the same guy who took MLB by storm in 2021 and had oddsmakers expecting big things this season. Buy low on the Tampa Bay pitcher to string together some elite starts and make a run at this award.

Gabriel Moreno, Blue Jays (+10000)

Amid a busy weekend for MLB call-ups, Moreno was relatively quiet in his first two starts for the Blue Jays, hitting 1-for-7 with a walk and a run scored against the Tigers. But don't sleep on Toronto's top prospect making noise over the second half of the season.

Moreno will have plenty of opportunities to make an impact this year because of his elite defense and framing behind the dish, which has already drawn rave reviews from the Blue Jays' starters. However, the athletic catcher is more than just a pitch-framer. The No. 4 prospect in baseball hit .324 in 36 games at the Triple-A level entering this weekend, and his career .313 average bodes well for his chances of sticking at the big-league level.

Only two catchers - Chris Coghlan (2009) and Buster Posey (2010) - have won Rookie of the Year in the last 25 years, so it's not as though Moreno has an easy path to winning here. But he's got a real shot at long odds if he can pair elite defense with the hitting production he had in the minors.

Riley Greene, Tigers (+25000)

This might be the best value on the entire board, as the Tigers' top prospect and No. 2 prospect in all of baseball - and best prospect yet to be called up, per MLB.com - has been raking in Triple-A after a stellar start to spring training. And his call-up to the big leagues feels imminent.

Greene hit better than .400 with two home runs and two triples in spring training before an injury derailed his chance at a spot on the Opening Day roster. He's bounced back in a big way in the minors, hitting .296 through 14 games entering this week.

The 21-year-old Greene seems likely to join the next wave of AL prospects to make their MLB debuts in June. And with four months left for one of baseball's best young bats to do his thing, his long-shot price is a ridiculous bargain.

C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.

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