MLB rookie rankings – Syndication Server

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The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year award, like most NL awards, will be going through the Los Angeles Dodgers and 2B Gavin Lux. Lux is a big favorite entering the year, while centering the infield for the 2020 World Series favorites. Below, we make our best bets and picks to win the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year award.

Players will accrue a pro-rated 2.8 days of service time for every day they spend on the 30-, 28- or 26-man rosters in 2020. Being included in the 30-man taxi squad will not count against MLB service time.

2020 NL Rookie of the Year best bets: Favorite

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday, July 12 at 1:20 p.m. ET.

Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Gavin Lux (+250)

Lux is well worth a hefty bet even as the favorite. He enters the 60-game season as the starter at a premium position for the team expected to win the NL pennant. Lux should have plenty of opportunities to produce runs from the eighth spot in the batting order.

He slashed .240/.305/.400 with two home runs and two stolen bases across 23 games and 82 plate appearances in the majors in 2019. He hit 26 homers across 113 games at Double A and Triple A before being called up. There will be few guarantees with young players in 2020, but Lux is the safest bet.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Lux to be named the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year would return a profit of $25.

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2020 NL Rookie of the Year best bets: Contender

San Francisco Giants C Joey Bart (+2000)

Bart’s window of opportunity swung wide open when C Buster Posey announced he’ll sit out the 2020 season amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Bart is now set to enter the season as the No. 2 option to C Rob Brantly behind the plate.

The 23-year-old Bart hasn’t played above his 22-game sample at Double A last season, where he slashed .316/.368/.544. Brantly has played just one game at any level since 2017 and could quickly be replaced this season.

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2020 NL Rookie of the Year best bets: Long shot

Philadelphia Phillies SP Spencer Howard (+6000)

Howard could have an opportunity to be a big piece of the Phillies’ starting rotation to start the year with SP Aaron Nola in jeopardy for the start of the season after being exposed to COVID-19. Plus, SP Zack Wheeler may miss at least a chunk of the season with his wife expected to give birth later this month. Howard would then enter the mix with Jake Arrieta, Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta and Francisco Liriano for key starts.

Howard pitched to a 2.35 ERA with 11.15 strikeouts per nine innings against 2.64 walks across 30 2/3 innings at Double A last season. He may be forced into the MLB rotation way earlier than the Phillies originally planned, but has the raw talent to be worth a bet at these long odds given the current circumstances.

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Every year, a few rookies step up and unexpectedly become difference-makers in the world of Fantasy Baseball. Here, we take a look at a few possibilities for 2020, beyond the most obvious breakout rookies, such as Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Gavin Lux and Chicago White Sox OF Luis Robert.

Also see:

Fantasy baseball: Top 5 sleeper rookies

Washington Nationals 3B Carter Kieboom

Kieboom struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, as he collected just five hits in 39 at-bats for a .128 batting average in 2019. He punished Class AAA pitching all season, posting a .303/.409/.493 line with 16 home runs across 494 plate appearances.

Kieboom, who has been a middle infielder for the vast majority of his minor league career, has been anointed the starting third baseman for the Nationals heading into the season. He doesn’t offer a ton of immediate upside but should fare much better this time around, providing a decent average and some pop in a strong Washington lineup.

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Chicago White Sox 2B Nick Madrigal

Madrigal had a solid year in 2019, as he put up a .311/.377/.414 line across three levels of the minors. Two things stand out in his profile: He brings plenty of speed to the table, as shown by the 35 bags he swiped a season ago, and he also puts the ball in play at an extremely high rate. He struck out in just 16 of his 532 plate appearances (3.0% K%).

It appears there is a strong chance Madrigal won’t start the season on the active roster. If he does, he may be behind Leury Garcia in the pecking order at second base, but it probably won’t be long before he becomes a regular, and while the power is lacking, he should help in the batting average and stolen base categories.

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St. Louis Cardinals OF Dylan Carlson

Carlson spent most of the 2019 season terrorizing Class AA pitching. When he finally got a chance in Class AAA, he hit the ground running, as he recorded an absurd .361/.418/.681 line in 79 plate appearances.

Carlson can’t be expected to produce at that level in the majors, and there’s a chance he doesn’t open the season on the active roster, so the team can gain an extra year of control. It won’t be long before he gets a shot, and he should put up respectable numbers across all categories.

Oakland Athletics C Sean Murphy

Murphy missed much of the 2019 season due to injuries, but he mashed whenever he was on the field. He hit .308 with 10 homers in 140 plate appearances at Class AAA. He made a splash once called up to the majors in September, hitting .245 with four home runs in 60 plate appearances.

Murphy is set to get the majority of playing time behind the plate for Oakland in 2020. Look for him to continue to provide plus power, along with a batting average that won’t kill you.

Los Angeles Dodgers SP Dustin May

May showed he was ready for the majors when he got an opportunity in 2019. In 14 appearances (four starts), he put up a 3.63 ERA across 34 2/3 innings, with 32 strikeouts against just five walks.

May’s role for 2020 is unclear at this point. The Dodgers still have rotation depth, despite the recent losses of David Price and Jimmy Nelson, and even if May does start, the outings may be short at the beginning of the season. Even so, the skills are strong, and the pitcher-friendly park and offense behind him help make May a pitcher worth targeting in the middle rounds.