Fernando Tatis Jr. Given 3-1 Odds to Be Named NL Rookie of the Year
By Chris Amberley in MLB Baseball
Updated: April 2, 2020 at 3:24 pm EDTPublished:
- You can wager on whether Fernando Tatis Jr. will win the NL Rookie of the Year Award
- Tatis is having a phenomenal season, but trails Christian Walker and Pete Alonso in most key statistical categories
- What’s the best bet?
Fernando Tatis Jr. is tearing the cover off the baseball. The San Diego Padres shortstop is off to a phenomenal start to his MLB career and is currently riding a 12-game hit streak.
Fernando @tatis_jr. Remember the name.#FriarFaithful pic.twitter.com/u5AB6uKfyJ
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 20, 2019
He ranks near the top in almost every major offensive category among first year players, and you can now bet on whether or not he’ll win the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Will Fernando Tatis Jr. Win the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year Award?
| Will Fernando Tatis Jr. Win 2019 NL Rookie of the Year? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +300 |
| No | -500 |
*Odds taken 04/25/19
Tatis is Raking
Along with Manny Machado, Tatis has rejuvenated the Padres fan base. He’s one of only five players in MLB history to hit at least six home runs in his first 20 games before the age of 21, and last Friday he made history against the Reds.
“I’m happy I did it. But I want to keep doing it. I’m looking forward to doing it more than one time.”
On Friday night, #Padres SS Fernando Tatis Jr. became the youngest player in #MLB history to homer and steal three bags in a single game: https://t.co/zDmRXtrWd9 pic.twitter.com/h1jYbAGcYe
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 21, 2019
He leads all rookies in steals, and is one of just a handful of first year players with a hard hit rate above 48%. He pops in both traditional and advance metric categories, but the only reason he isn’t a runaway favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year is because New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker are playing out of this world at the moment.
The Competition is Stiff
Both Alonso and Walker have a better OPS, ISO rate and WOBA this season than Tatis. They’ve each hit more home runs and racked up more RBI, while maintaining a lower strikeout rate.
.@Pete_Alonso20 hit a ball 440+ feet. Must be a day that ends in Y. pic.twitter.com/NhFo8KLbOA
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 21, 2019
Their BABIP is slightly higher than expected, but their hard hit rate is off the charts. Walker leads all of baseball in that category with a 69.1% rate, while Alonso checks in inside the top-32. Neither was an elite prospect so regression is certainly possible, but until signs start to surface it’s hard to bet Tatis ahead of them.
Pass on Tatis
Not only does Tatis trail Alonso and Walker on the stat sheet, he’s also committed three errors in just 24 games. His 28 strikeouts in just 87 at-bats is concerning, as is his 13.3% swinging strike rate. There is little doubt Tatis is going to be a star, but right now it doesn’t look like he’ll be the NL Rookie of the Year.
Pick: No (-500)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
