Taking Stock of Stott's Rookie of the Year Chances

The Philadelphia Phillies young infielder set the spring on fire, could he be eying Rookie of the Year next?

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have a chance to end a 17-year drought this season, Bryson Stott will vie for the illustrious Rookie of the Year award, alongside a pool of esteemed talent.

The last time a Phillies player won a Rookie of the Year award, you might ask? It was Ryan Howard's prolific 2005 campaign, in which he slugged 22 home runs across 88 games, hitting an outstanding .288/.356/.567 in the process.

Can Bryson Stott top the Big Piece?

It goes without saying, Stott is nowhere near the power threat that Ryan Howard was, but what he lacks in sheer pop, he makes up for in his keen ability to reach base and above-average infield glove.

Thus far in Clearwater, Stott is torching the place. Through 10 spring games, he's hitting .522 with a home run, two doubles, and five walks to four strikeouts. He's flashed every single one of his paramount tools: excellent pitch selection, outstanding plate discipline, and a knack for finding the gaps.

Last year, Cincinnati's Jonathan India managed to take home the National League Rookie of the Year award–doing so with a solid glove, while boasting a .269/.376/.459 slash, 21 home runs, and a 122 wRC+. He accrued 3.9 WAR in 150 games...

Stott can do that.

However, he'll have to face down some steep competition if he wants to have any hope of taking home the hardware:

The Favorites:

According to Vegas odds, Pittsburgh's Oneil Cruz and Chicago's Seiya Suzuki lead the charge for ROTY favorites, sitting at a +380.

Cruz is a young and ridiculously powerful shortstop, but has only played in 6 games at the Triple-A level. He was recently optioned to the Pirates minor league camp, meaning he will not be making the Bucs Opening Day roster–but, once he finds his way to the majors, he will certainly be a threat.

Suzuki was a superstar in Japan, posting SEVEN straight years with an OPS above .936. The 28 year-old is a serious power threat, and won a gold glove in Japan, it's easy to see why he's a favorite.

Next in the order comes San Francisco's Joey Bart (+750). He too touts big time power potential from the catcher position, which opened up for the Giants with Buster Posey's retirement. He hammered Triple-A in 2021, so he's likely to see the field in 2022.

Bryson Stott stands in as a fourth place favorite behind these three at +900 odds to bring home the gold.

The Dark Horses:

There are also a few names below Bryson Stott that have a better chance at the crown than their odds suggest.

Reds starter Hunter Greene will be cracking their Opening Day roster. He's battled numerous injuries throughout his career, but has a blistering fastball and some filthy stuff. He's sitting just below Stott at +1000.

Another Phillie, Matt Vierling, is also pretty high up here at +1700–and he certainly has a shot at the award. If new Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long can aid Vierling in lifting the baseball, his eye-popping exit velocities become much more than just numbers on a page.

Arizona's Alek Thomas, St. Louis' Nolan Gorman, and Washington's Cade Cavalli could also present as big names in the race, as could Miami's Max Meyer–but Vegas doesn't seem to like their odds as much.

It's going to be a hard-fought battle, but Stott definitely has a chance here. Of the names listed, it feels like the Phillies infielder certainly boasts the most mature approach at the plate, and has an ideal combination of defensive prowess and on-base tools that could help him rack up WAR at a steady pace.

Regardless of who takes home the award at the end of the day, this pool of rookies is going to be one for the books–there's lots of big time talent here.

Here's hoping Stott's spring success carries over into the regular season–it would, after all, be pretty cool to see him bring home such a prestigious award the year after his roommate and close friend, Bryce Harper, brought home the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2021.

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