2013 MLB AL Rookie of the Year Odds and Predictions: AL ROY Favorites and Sleepers

2013 MLB American League Rookie of the Year Odds and Predictions: Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers: While being named Rookie of the Year doesn’t always guarantee a player future success in the majors, many of the recent ROY Award recipients in the American League have blossomed into stars. Former winners Justin Verlander and Dustin Pedroia have both gone on to win the AL MVP Award, and last year’s AL ROY Mike Trout nearly won the MVP Award in the same season. Meanwhile, former winners Evan Longoria and Neftali Feliz helped their team reach the World Series the same year they took home ROY honors. The bottom line is that there have been some studs that have been named Rookie of the Year in the American League the last several years, and looking at this year’s potential candidates, the trend could certainly continue. With that mind, here is a closer look at the players that have the best chance to add their name to the list of American League Rookie of the Year Award winners.

2013 MLB AL Rookie of the Year Odds and Predictions

The Favorites

Although his brief stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks was a disaster last year, starting pitcher Trevor Bauer compiled a 12-2 record with a 2.42 ERA in the minors in 2012. He also struck out 157 batters in just 130.1 innings. Bauer never seemed to gel with the coaches in Arizona, but he was traded to Cleveland in the offseason, and the change of scenery and manager like Terry Francona that knows how to handle personalities could be just what the doctor ordered. His stuff is electric, and at just 22 years old, he has plenty of time to figure things out. Bauer is expected to open the year in the starting rotation, and if he can post gaudy strikeout numbers and a decent ERA and win total, he could snag AL ROY honors.

There is a chance he will open the season in the minors, but for a power-starved team like the Tampa Bay Rays, outfielder Wil Myers should be in the big leagues sooner rather than later. He hit 37 total homers in the minors last year with 27 of them coming at the Triple-A level. He also added a .304 average and 79 RBIs in Triple-A to earn himself Player of the Year honors. Myers’ power is the real deal, and even if he misses the first month of the year, he has more than enough pop in his bat to make up for lost time and follow his minor league MVP with the AL ROY Award.

The Dark Horses

It should come as no surprise that the Oakland Athletics have yet another pitching prospect that seems primed for big things, and it is looking like starter Dan Straily is going to open the 2013 season as a member of Oakland’s rotation. In Triple-A last year, he posted a 2.02 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while punching out 82 batters in 66.2 innings. Straily also held his own in seven starts in the big leagues, going 2-1 with a 3.89 ERA and striking out 32 in 39.1 innings. With half of his starts set to come in a pitcher-friendly park, it is possible that he could finish the year with an ERA somewhere in the mid-3s. Since history says Straily will also be striking out around a batter per inning, his final numbers could be too solid for voters to ignore when it comes time to name an AL Rookie of the Year.

Just about any team in baseball would love to have a switch-hitting shortstop with speed and power, and the Texas Rangers have one in Jurickson Profar. At the young age of 19, he hit 14 homers and stole 16 bases in the minors last year while hitting .281 and showing excellent patience at the plate. Profar’s versatility is one of the reasons he is the top-rated minor league prospect in the game today, and he is expected to be a player that can win an MVP or two before all is said and done. In the meantime, Profar has a chance to stuff the box score on a regular basis and earn himself AL MVP honors. The only question is how soon the Rangers will turn him loose in the big leagues.

Sleeper Special

Sometimes circumstances are just as important as a player’s talent when it comes to winning awards, and that could be the case for Bruce Rondon of the Detroit Tigers. The relief pitcher has been being groomed as a closer of the future, but the front office electing not to resign Jose Valverde, the Tigers have an immediate opening in the ninth. Armed with a fastball that routinely tops 100 mph, Rondon is on the short list of pitchers that could close out games for Detroit in 2013. Given the loaded starting rotation the Tigers have, whoever closes games should have a chance to pile up plenty of saves. If that player happens to be Rondon, he could become the third relief pitcher to win the AL ROY Award in the past five seasons.

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