NL Rookie of the Year Odds: Jackson Merrill Skyrockets Past Paul Skenes as Favorite

Breaking down the latest NL Rookie or the Year odds after Jackson Merrill overtook Paul Skenes.

San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill. / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

There's a new favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year award at FanDuel Sportsbook. 

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill has passed Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes in the latest odds, moving to -120. Skenes is still -105 to win the award, but it's clear that Merrill, who has been gaining momentum for weeks, is now the favorite.

Jackson Merrill (-120) is now the favorite at @FDSportsbook to win NL Rookie of the Year over Paul Skenes (-105).

Skenes was off the board at some books and as high as -5000 in early August

— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) August 21, 2024

This odds movement was something that was predicted by our own Reed Wallach, who pointed out the possibility of the Pirates shutting down Skenes later this season once the playoffs are completely out of reach.

After Skenes was viewed as a virtual lock to win the award earlier this month, Merrill has continued to make a case, hitting .289 with 17 homers and 69 runs batted in for a Padres team that has the top wild card spot in the National League.

Skenes (7-2, 2.30 ERA) has cooled off a bit since the All-Star break, posting a 3.13 ERA across five starts. While he's still pitching extremely well, Skenes isn't the runaway favorite due to his lack of game time in the MLB (16 games).

With Merrill at 122 games and counting, this market could shift further in his favor if Skenes is shut down the for the season at some point in the next month.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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