Breaking down this year's AL Rookie of the Year race

This year's American League Rookie of the Year race will center around the AL East and a pair of heavyweights that scuffled for the division lead until the regular season's final week.

According to BetMGM odds accessed on Oct. 17, a pair of New York Yankees will battle it out with an outfielder from the Baltimore Orioles for the AL Rookie of the Year honor, bestowed annually by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). 

So, who could finish in the top four? Let's take a look at the candidates in order of least likely winner to most likely winner.

RHP Mason Miller | Oakland Athletics

His season: After appearing in just 10 games in 2023, Miller burst onto the MLB scene in 2024, earning 28 saves and an All-Star Game appearance. Overall, he posted a 2.49 ERA/2.18 FIP/0.877 WHIP over 55 games (65.0 innings) while posting 104 strikeouts (14.4 per nine innings) thanks to an overpowering fastball that often reached triple digits.

His outlook: It's difficult for a reliever, even as dominant as Miller was at times, to win Rookie of the Year honors. However, he certainly established himself as one of the faces of the franchise in 2024.

RHP Luis Gil | New York Yankees

His season: After undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2022, Gil didn't pitch for the Yankees in 2023. However, he returned with a vengeance this season, making 29 starts while posting a 3.50 ERA/4.14 FIP/1.193 WHIP across 151.2 innings. Gil's numbers would have even been better had it not been for his final two starts of the season, where he surrendered 10 earned runs over a combined 11.0 innings.

His outlook: Gil was a difference-maker and feel-good story for the Yankees this season, but those final two starts will likely loom large in the minds of BBWAA voters. Still under team control through the 2028 season, Gil is a big part of the future in the Bronx.

C Austin Wells | New York Yankees

His season: Any questions that the Yankees might have had about their catching position were answered by Wells in 2024. Over 414 plate appearances, Wells slashed .229/.322/.395 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI. His 2.5 bWAR ranked sixth among all Yankees, a solid statistic on a superstar-laden team.

His outlook: Wells and Gil will likely battle for the Rookie of the Year runner-up spot, with Wells perhaps getting a slight nod for being a position player. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone certainly didn't shy away from praising Wells when asked about his Rookie of the Year candidacy.