By Only Players Staff
Updated 8/29/24 3:32pm ET
Following a relatively rocky outing, Pirates ace Paul Skenes is now a distinct +220 second-favorite for the NL Rookie of the Year, less than a month after he was an overwhelming -6000 favorite and one sportsbook even stopped offering the bet.
San Diego Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill is now the favorite of -320 at FanDuel and -400 at DraftKings. The 21-year-old All-Star now has five game-tying or go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning or later this season.
Prior to yesterday’s start, Skenes had about +120 odds with Merrill as the -160 favorite. But the righty allowed two earned runs in five innings and did not look as dominant as he usually does.
In early August, Skenes held odds in the neighborhood of -6000, considering he was the second-favorite in the NL Cy Young race and had started the All-Star Game. But Merrill’s late-game heroics catapulted him up the betting board.
In the last decade, only one pitcher has won the Rookie of the Year award in each league. Thus, only two of the past 20 winners have been pitchers.
Photo Courtesy: Icon Sportswire
