Randy Arozarena a sizable favorite for 2021 AL Rookie of the Year

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena – who took the baseball world by storm in the 2020 postseason – is a clear-cut +400 favorite to win 2021 AL Rookie of the Year honors.

Will Arozarena pick up where he left off this season, or will a newcomer like Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic (+800) or Rays shortstop Wander Franco (+1000) cash instead? Let’s dive in.

Randy Arozarena (+400)

Arozarena hinted at power in 64 regular season at-bats for Tampa in 2020, as he tallied seven home runs, but his postseason run was the stuff of legends.

He hit 10 homers in 77 playoff at-bats while batting an incredible .377. If the Rays had even one more batter like Arozarena in their lineup, the 2020 World Series outcome might have been different.

It’s nearly impossible for Arozarena to bottle what he did last postseason, but if he even approaches that level of production over 162 games, he’ll be a slam-dunk selection for the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year Award.

Jarred Kelenic (+800)

Kelenic – part of the lopsided Robinson Cano deal the Mariners made with the New York Mets in 2018 – is widely regarded as a can’t-miss prospect despite having never played an inning in Triple-A. However, he probably would have been promoted to that level in 2020 if there was a minor league baseball season.

It recently came to light that the Mariners were allegedly playing hardball with Kelenic regarding a potential 2021 call-up, but things could change with former team president and CEO Kevin Mather out of the picture. Several recent Seattle prospects – namely Edwin Díaz, Justin Dunn, Kyle Lewis and Evan White – were promoted directly from Double-A to the majors. 

Kelenic bears watching in Spring Training – if he breaks camp with the team, he could give Arozarena a run for his money in the AL Rookie of the Year race.

Wander Franco (+1000)

The Rays have the envy of MLB farm systems everywhere in Franco, who was named baseball’s top prospect for the second straight year.

Though he’s never played above high-A, Franco was in Tampa’s pool of potential playoff replacements in 2020. He’s hit .336 over two seasons in the minors (667 at-bats).

The downside of backing Franco in this market is that he’s unlikely to make the Rays’ Opening Day roster.