American League Rookie of the Year
The AL ROY award is very close. The top three players, Josh Jung (+160), Masataka Yoshida (+270), and Gunnar Henderson (+320) are all possible winners.
Josh Jung wasn't even in the top five for the preseason odds. However, he has had a strong year up to this point, helping the first-place Texas Rangers on both offense and defense. The twenty-five year-old is slashing .274/.327/.494 for an OPS of .821. While his numbers aren't as gaudy as other rookies, his all-around performance has been strong. He has 17 home runs and a rookie-leading 85 hits on the season. While his DRS numbers (2) are low, he passes the eye test on the hot corner. Jung has accumulated 2.4 WAR on the season.
Masatka Yoshida is just the latest of many Japanese players who have come over and succeeded in the United States. He is an offensive firecracker who gets on base at high rates. His .301/.372/.475 slash line places him among the best hitters in the league. The right fielder has 27 walks to 35 strikeouts, a strong ratio. However, he has only accumulated 1 WAR due to poor defensive numbers.
The final AL ROY candidate is Gunnar Henderson. Henderson is part of a surging youth movement in Baltimore. He has a slash line of .240/.338/.459 for an OPS of .797. These numbers are the lowest of the three candidates. He has played primarily third base but has also shifted over to shortstop at times. He has racked up 1.8 WAR on the season.
Players to watch: Hunter Brown and Bryce Miller
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.