Oneil Cruz Rookie of the Year Odds: Pirates Shortstop Among Favorites After Promotion
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images. Pictured: Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
Oneil Cruz Rookie of the Year Odds
| Sportsbook | Odds |
|---|---|
| BetMGM | +600 |
| Caesars | +700 |
| DraftKings | +750 |
| FanDuel | +750 |
| Barstool | +750 |
| PointsBet | +750 |
Oneil Cruz was considered a preseason favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year, but when the Pirates kept him out of the majors early in the season, his odds began to fall.
A week ago, Cruz could've been had at +2500 at FanDuel. But after an electric debut — which featured contributions from both his bat and his arm — Cruz is once again near the top.
The Pirates called Cruz up on Monday and he promptly went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored in a 12-1 blowout over the Cubs. That pulled his odds all the way down to +750 at most shops and as low as +600 at BetMGM.
And despite playing in just one game entering Tuesday, Cruz had taken the fifth-most bets of any player to win the award.
At BetMGM, Cruz trails three players: MacKenzie Gore (+350), Spencer Strider (+400) and Michael Harris III (+500).
The majority of the action remains on Seiya Suzuki, who was the odds-on favorite before landing on the injured list with a finger injury. He has not yet returned, slipping him to +1400.
Cruz actually made his MLB debut in 2021, appearing in two games and putting up three hits in nine at-bats. One of those hits was a home run.
He was only hitting .232 in 55 games at Triple-A this season before the call up, but his nine homers and 11 stolen bases showed the variety of ways the shortstop can contribute.
Gore is the early favorite with a 4-3 record and 3.64 ERA in 11 games (10 starts). The next two candidates are both on the Atlanta Braves. Strider has a 2.45 ERA in 15 games (four starts) and Harris is hitting .346 with a 1.1 WAR in 22 games.
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