Elly De La Cruz might be the best story in baseball this year. He’s only been in the majors for 20 days.
It does not matter. The 21-year-old Cincinnati Reds infielder put together a highlights season in less than three weeks. The Reds enjoyed their first 12-game winning streak since 1957 and climbed to first place in the NL Central. In the process, De La Cruz became a viral sensation.
But there remains the question of these two lost months. Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll was in place on opening day and has been terrific all season. BetMGM odds on NL Rookie of the Year show De La Cruz still has a long way to go to catch Carroll.
Odds for NL Rookie of the Year
The odds of NL ROY on BetMGM are strange. Carroll is a heavy favorite, De La Cruz put himself on the map in less than a month and no one else stands a chance.
Carroll is -500 away from winning the prize, which is a heavy favorite at this point in the season. Carroll is second to Ronald Acuna Jr. in NL MVP ratings. He was amazing.
De La Cruz jumped to +500 odds for NL Rookie of the Year. It’s a testament to how exciting it has been in such a short time. He’s 6-foot-5, has incredible power, and is as fast as any major league player. It’s perfect for the social media age because its highlights are jaw-dropping.
And every other player in the NL Rookie of the Year market is 50 to 1 or better. So, no offense to New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez, Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Perez or anyone else, but it’s clearly a two-man race.
And, maybe it’s just a one-man race.
Does Elly De La Cruz have a chance?
Carroll was a big prospect and he lived up to the hype for the Diamondbacks. Carroll is hitting .290 with 16 home runs, 41 RBIs and 23 interceptions. If Acuna weren’t on pace with one of the most incredible statistical seasons of the modern era, Carroll would get even more buzz in the MVP conversation as a rookie.
De La Cruz should have a heck of a four-month stretch to catch up with Carroll, and he’d probably still need Carroll to crash or run out of time through injury. Even if Carroll doesn’t keep up that pace, hitting 16 home runs and 23 interceptions in the Diamondbacks’ first 79 games gives him a solid foundation for the rest of the season.
If Carroll slips at all, it’s clear De La Cruz would go to the front of the line in the ROY race, but his odds boost is likely more down to the attention he’s received than a legitimate chance to win. award it. You can blame the Reds for not calling him until June.
If De La Cruz continues to play like he has and the Reds win the NL Central, he could end up being what we remember most from this season. Even if someone else wins NL Rookie of the Year.