In the race for National League Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes, a pitcher for the Pirates, is in a tight competition with Shota Imanaga from the Cubs. At BetMGM Sportsbook, Skenes is just slightly behind Imanaga in the odds, sitting at +165 compared to Imanaga’s +155. This marks a significant shift as Imanaga had been the favorite for over a month.
Skenes has quickly made a name for himself with his dominant performances in his six big league starts. He has an impressive 2.43 ERA over 33 â…“ innings and has struck out 46 batters. This showcases his talent and confirms the high expectations that have followed him since his time playing for LSU Tigers.
On the other hand, Imanaga started off his MLB season with a historic start but has recently hit a rough patch. Although his ERA is still second-best among qualified pitchers in the NL at 1.96, it has increased from his initial sub-1.00 ERA. This downturn in performance has allowed Skenes to close the gap and challenge Imanaga for the Rookie of the Year title.
The competition for the award seems to be a three-man race, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the Dodgers following closely behind Skenes and Imanaga with odds of +350. No other player has odds better than 10/1. However, Skenes has emerged as the popular pick among bettors, receiving 20.1 percent of bets and 23.1 percent of the handle at BetMGM.
Skenes’ popularity among bettors is likely to have increased even more after his recent dominant performance against the Cardinals. In that game, he threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only five hits while striking out eight batters without issuing any walks. This outing was the second-best of his young career, with his best being six no-hit innings against the Cubs a month ago.
Overall, the Rookie of the Year race in the National League is heating up, with Paul Skenes making a strong case for himself as a contender. His impressive performances and the support he has garnered from bettors make him a formidable opponent for Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season unfolds and who ultimately takes home the prestigious award.
