Braves’ Mike Soroka Overtakes Pete Alonso as Favorite to Win 2019 NL Rookie of the Year
- Soroka listed as +200 favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year
- Last pitcher to win ROY in NL was 2014
- Alonso in race for home run crown in National League
The Atlanta Braves are on the right track to secure a second consecutive NL East title thanks in large part to rookie pitcher Mike Soroka. The right-hander from Calgary has turned heads in his debut season with the Braves and has vaulted into the favorite for NL Rookie of the Year.
Sportsbooks updated their National League Rookie of the Year odds, listing Soroka as the +200 favorite.
2019 NL Rookie of the Year Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Soroka | Atlanta Braves | +200 |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | San Diego Padres | +250 |
| Pete Alonso | New York Mets | +275 |
| Alex Verdugo | Los Angeles Dodgers | +400 |
| Bryan Reynolds | Pittsburgh Pirates | +500 |
Odds taken 08/02/2019.
Soroka overtook New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who was the odds-on favorite (-180) less than a month ago and is now listed at +275. Alonso has fallen to third, behind Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who’s at +250.
It’s no real surprise that Soroka has moved into the front-runner position. Just look at his numbers over the last two months. During that span, Soroka has a 2.37 ERA and a record of 10-2. In the first half of the season, Soroka’s numbers were even more impressive as the 21-year-old had an ERA of 0.70 in five starts in May.
One of Soroka’s only true blemishes this season came in a 10-2 loss to the Washington Nationals, where he pitched six innings and gave up nine hits and four earned runs.
Soroka Keeps Hot Pace
Soroka will look to become the first pitcher to win NL Rookie of the Year in five years. Jacob DeGrom was the last pitcher to win NL ROY, claiming the award in 2014 with the Mets.
Since then, the honor went to infielders from 2015-17 and an outfielder last season (Soroka’s teammate Ronald Acuna Jr).
Jacob DeGrom was the last pitcher to win NL ROY, claiming the award in 2014 with the Mets.
The last time a Canadian won NL Rookie of the Year was in 2004 when it went to Jason Bay of Trail, B.C.
Is there any value betting on Soroka at +200 to win the NL Rookie of the Year? He has showed little to no signs of slowing down with 45 games remaining in the 2019 regular season.
Alonso in Race for HR Crown
Many people still believe Alonso is the player to beat out for Rookie of the Year, despite hitting a rough patch in July. The Mets slugger had just six home runs and 13 RBIs last month, down significantly compared to his production in May and June.
Alonso may not have the best average (.254 heading into action on Friday) but his power production at the plate has kept him in the discussion. The 24-year-old has 34 home runs and 77 RBIs in 107 games this season.
Only Christian Yelich (36) of the Milwaukee Brewers and Cody Bellinger (35) of the Los Angeles Dodgers have more home runs than Alonso. Claiming the home-run crown would certainly boost Alonso’s chances of winning the ROY award, as well.
Pete Alonso smashes his 34th homerun of the year #Mets pic.twitter.com/4KQyHlwXr7
— Charlie Quinn (@CharlieQuinnMMA) July 27, 2019
Tatis Jr. is having a stellar rookie campaign, as well, batting .329 with 19 home runs and 45 RBIs. But he also missed a large chunk of time earlier in the season, which is why his totals lag behind Alonso.
At this point, the better wager is on Alonso, who is in contention for the home-run crown and plays in a bigger market for a team that’s desperate for good news. Get in on the +275 odds while they last. If Alonso can power the Mets’ offense to a Wild Card spot down the stretch, he’ll have the narrative to go along with the statistics.
Pick: Pete Alonso (+275)
Angelo Montilla is a writer, visual design instructor and graphic designer based on the East Coast. As a journalism graduate, his experience in the media industry spans more than 15 years and includes work with Nation Network, SportsBreak, Featurd, Hockey Writers and the Windsor Star.
