Jackson Holliday is looking to become the second straight Oriole to win the American League Rookie of the Year.
And he’s got as good of a shot as anyone.
Holliday, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and current No. 1 prospect at MLB.com and Baseball America, is projected to be a top contender for the award by Vegas oddsmakers.
The Orioles phenom is top two on the odds board at every major sportsbook, with Rangers rookie Evan Carter vying with Holliday for favorite status.
At DraftKings, Holliday is a slight +250 favorite versus Carter’s +300.
But that’s flipped at FanDuel Sportsbook, where Carter is +280 and Holliday is +340.
Those odds largely have to do with questions about whether Holliday will make the team out of Spring Training, where he is competing for a spot in Baltimore’s middle infield.
If Holliday can make the Orioles’ Opening Day roster and play anywhere near the level he did in the minors last season, it’s his award to lose.
Across four minor league levels in 2023, Holliday slashed .323/.442/.499 with 30 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, and 24 stolen bases while drawing nearly as many walks (101) as strikeouts (118).
Holliday was named the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year for his monster season that now has him on the cusp of making the big leagues at just 20 years old.
It’s unclear where Holliday would fit in on the Orioles’ infield, but aside from reigning AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson, there’s little standing in his way at shortstop and second base in the form of Jorge Mateo, Jordan Westburg, and Ramon Urias.
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Even if Holliday starts the season in Triple-A, there’s recent precedent for special talents to win the award in partial season, a la Yordan Alvarez in 2019 and Ronald Acuna Jr. 9n 2018.
Carter, and even fellow Ranger Wyatt Langford (+700, FanDuel), are stiff competitors, but Holliday is one of the best prospects in recent memory.
Bet on the exceptional talent.
The pick: Jackson Holliday to win AL Rookie of the Year (+350, Caesars)
