Who will win the 2026 MLB Rookie of the Year Awards? Chase DeLauter and Sal Stewart highlight our early-season picks... and bold overreactions following the first weekend.
Chase DeLauter and Sal Stewart had incredible opening weekends and are among the front-runners to win AL and NL Rookie of the Year. Their odds have already spiked, opening the door for some value further down the board.
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners..700! Surely, they are locks to take home the American League and National League Rookie of the Year honors this fall.Chase DeLauter hit two home runs on Opening Day against the Mariners and finished the four-game set by going 6-for-17 with four long balls.It was a historic debut for the 24-year-old, who became just the third player in MLB history to homer in each of his first three games . DeLauter is not without pedigree, either, as the 24-year-old entered the season as Cleveland's No. 2 prospect and was ranked 44th overall by. Chances are, he'd have been even higher were it not for a history of injury concerns throughout his minor-league career. In February, DeLauter was +2000 to win AL ROY. That number shrank to +1200 ahead of Opening Day. He's on a real upward trajectory, so hopefully you got in on the ground floor.seems like a forgotten man after baseball's first weekend. It's easy to see why, as he has just two hits in 10 at-bats, but this is the perfect time to pump the brakes. Basallo has prodigious power, as evidenced by the 23 home runs he hit in 76 games at Triple-A in 2025. The Orioles have also shown that they are not going to mess around with his playing time. Even when Adley Rutschman has been behind the plate, Basallo has served as designated hitter and first baseman.Stewart went 7-for-10 with a home run, three doubles, and three walks while not striking out once while terrorizing Red Sox pitching over the weekend. Obviously, he won't hit .700 all season, but he showed why his bat has been so highly touted. And while he will certainly strike out eventually, he might not exhibit a ton of swing and miss, either, as he hovered around a 15% strikeout rate throughout his minor-league career. Add in the fact that he plays his home games at hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark, and Stewart will become a Cincinnati folk hero by July, with an NL Rookie of the Year award soon following based on this pace.I wanted sportsbooks to overreact to Konnor Griffin starting the season in Triple-A while his peers lit up the MLB scoreboard, but so far, that hasn't materialized, as he's still a robust +700. While I'm tempted to go with a pitcher that has yet to debut in either Bubba Chandler or Andrew Painter , but entered as a pinch-hitter, ultimately walking off the Rockies with a mammoth home run.Caissie got his first taste of the majors last summer, and it didn't go so well, but it looks like the jitters are all the way gone, and this line won't last much longer either.: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. Jason Wilson is an experienced journalist who has worked in a variety of roles within the industry for the past 18 years. Working at community newspapers in New Brunswick, Jason wore many hats as a reporter, editor, and photographer, covering everything from sports to courts to municipal politics. After shifting gears and working as an educator for a few years in the 2010s, Jason returned to full-time work in media as an MLB news editor for six years at theScore in Toronto before joining Covers in late 2021. He has honed his editorial acumen over his years in the industry, showcasing flexibility, patience, and a strong work ethic. While he was relatively new to sports betting upon joining Covers, Jason has taken the plunge with gusto to learn the ins and outs of the industry, both as a method to improve professionally and to add an extra angle to his sports fandom. In addition to sports, Jason is an avid film nut and former movie critic who monitors the Academy Awards betting odds for Covers. Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism degree and a Bachelor of Education degree from St. Thomas University.2026 Rookie of the Year Odds: Sal Stewart Slugs Way Into Our HeartsCopyright © 1995 - 2026 CS Media Limited All Rights Reserved. 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