Family, as you know I've been all systems go on the college baseball side for quite some time. And while I do love me some College Baseball, MLB is where my roots stem. So, I decided to shift focus for a moment and hand-deliver to you my best preseason bets for the 2026 awards markets.
Without further ado...
AL MVP
Wyatt Langford +5000 (FanDuel)
By now you should all now I'm president and founder of the Wyatt Langford fan club as he's a big day one incubator guy of mine. I will also die on the hill that I'm the first person in the media to say he's the next Mike Trout. Like last year, the books opened him in the 100/1 plus territory. Obviously, that got bet down aggressively, and when I was about to take a piece, it got cut. This time I didn't get around to betting in on time, but 50/1 is still good. Based on the ebbs and flows of the market works, we'll likely see a longer number at some point. So if you want to wait, that's fine.
Langford in my opinion had a down year in 2025 and still managed a 20/20 season. At some point in the near future, we're going to see all that talent and potential fully unlock. This might be the year. For that to happen, we would need to see him cut down that K rate this year from its elevated 26.4 percent mark last season. It would also help if he could play closer to 160 games than the 134 games he managed in both 2024 and 2025. Some may argue his advanced metrics don't support a huge jump, and I understand that, but this kid has "IT." Even in a large Texas Rangers ballpark, he's got 35-plus home run pop and clearly can swipe 40 or more bags if his team will start letting him run more on the bases.
Langford is having a scorching spring training where he's hitting .444 with 5 homers in just 14 games. Some may have already given up on this dude, but I've seen play since 2022. It will all come together for him. 2026 may be the year. I will be betting on Langford to win MVP every season for the foreseeable future.
Obviously there are some big time horses in the AL like Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr, along with my boy Nick Kurtz, so it won't be easy. But with all things being equal, there's no better value bet than Langford at 50/1 right now.
Nick Kurtz +1600 (BetMGM)
Enough of this "Big Amish" crap. The real ones know him as "Nicky Nukes!" The reason I didn't give out Nick Kurtz as AL ROY before the season last year was because it was extremely difficult to see him getting the call up with enough time to make a big enough impact. (I still ended up betting him to win right before the call up.)
If Kurtz had started the season in the majors, we probably would have seen him hit closer to 50 home runs and possibly win the MVP. Instead, we saw him demolish 36 taters and 86 RBI in just 117 games, including a FOUR-HOMER game. This was the kid I watched at Wake Forest — and in person at the 2023 Super Regionals — with incredible power and hit tool to all fields. He did all that while batting .290 despite a ridiculously high 30.9 percent strikeout rate. As you saw, though, when Nicky Nukes gets hot, it can last a while. Back in college, he one had 11 homers in a seven-game stretch. Just giggles.
For an MVP bid, he'll have to replicate the power and become more consistent to compete with the dudes at the top of the board. I believe he can, though, because what he did last year was no fluke. He's playing at a hitter-friendly ballpark with a pretty strong Athletics offense, providing some protection.
I hate that I missed a 25/1 price in December, but 16/1 is still a good look for a guy with this much potential. I would definitely feel foolish if I was too late for the best number available.
NL MVP
Ronald Acuna +1200 (Caesars)
I'm a big RAJ guy. Last year he only played 95 games and still hit .290 with 21 bops. Obviously the big competition is Shohei Ohtani, who is at a MINUS price before the season even starts. Betting the NL MVP is brutal because Ohtani is likely to win every year if he stays healthy. Juan Soto is in the same boat as Acuna.
Soto had an unbelievable 2025 campaign which saw him nearly eclipse the coveted 40/40 status. The only reason I'm taking a shot on Acuna over Soto is because I think the ceiling as an overall player is just a smidge higher. Also because Soto lost a big power bat in Pete Alonso, which may have the Mets lineup downgrade a bit this year.
It appears Acuna is fully healthy heading into the season, a wonderful sight. If he can log 150 or more games, we might see that magical 2023 campaign again where he went 41/73 while batting .337.
Worth a shot at a solid number.
AL Cy Young
Hunter Brown +1500 (DraftKings)
Downtown Hunter Brown was a nice little "longshot" I gave out last preseason at 25/1. Good price, great season. Who wouldn't take a 2.43 ERA and 206 K performance? He wasn't a bad pick by any stretch, as he finished third in the Cy Young voting behind the two favorites, Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet.
Still, I'm running it back with Brown. He's a legitimate ace even if he's in a tough race with the two aforementioned stars. Despite how great of a 2025 campaign he had, he needs to step it up another level if he wants to win. Cut the ERA down into the 2.20 range and add about 40 strikeouts to that total and he'll have a strong chance.
Skubal is attempting to be the third pitcher in MLB history to win three straight Cy Young awards, joining Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson, but despite how great he is, it's an incredibly challenging feat. Crochet is amazing as well, but perhaps pitching in the AL East may leave his ERA a little too high to capture the award despite the grotesque amount of strikeouts he piles up.
For the price, I like Brown as the best value bet on the board when you combine his ERA, innings and strikeouts.
NL Cy Young
Last year, I gave out Spencer Schwellenbach to win at 35/1. He was having a strong start to the year before he got hurt. But this season it seems like a three-horse race, with all of them under 10/1.
I love Paul Skenes. I bet on him basically every week in 2023 while he was at LSU and was on the hype train before he became mainstream. I don't want to bet against him in his bid for back-to-back awards, but his +250 preseason odds aren't where my head is at, even though it's a fair price.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was awesome last year and even cashed my World Series MVP bet. He looks like he can make that jump this year. But +650 is a little short. Cristopher Sanchez at 9/1 isn't bad, but does have enough oomph to unseat Skenes?
As of now, I don't have a definitive bet to make other than a couple longshots.
Chase Burns +6000 (BetRivers)
With the devastating news to Hunter Greene that he will be out until at least July, the Reds rotation has a vacancy to be filled. It seems like for the moment Terry Francona may be going with a six-man rotation to start the year. Although a lot is still up in the air, I thought it would be interesting to talk a little Chase Burns.
The most talented high-ceiling guy in this Cincy staff is Burns, who I've highlighted many times over the years in my college baseball weekend plays. He's up to 102 mph with his heater and has what I believe is the second-best slider in the league behind Dylan Cease. The true 12-6 demonic slider he crafted at Tennessee and perfected at Wake Forest is so vicious that it not only racked up countless punchouts in college, it also led to a .197 opponent batting average in his rookie year.
I've seen almost every Burns start from college to MLB, and watching his evolution in real time is wild. One of the things I've been waiting to see — and I hope it happens this year — is the development of his changeup and curveball, which he hardly threw last year. It's extremely difficult to consistently get away with only having two pitches in the MLB, even as effective as his are.
However, 60/1 is an interesting look IF Burns doesn't get burned by Francona again with a strict innings limit and frequent early hooks. If Burns can actually get a real starting role, where he can get close to 30 starts, he's got a puncher's chance to contend for the award. I'd add Nolan McLean (+5000) in that same boat as well.
AL Rookie of the Year
The MLB Rookie of the Year markets are not only my favorite to bet, but they're something I feel like I have an advantage over any book. At this point, every class is full of tons of stars I watched and bet on for years as college players. Even when I don't cash, I'm very close, getting down great numbers. In '24, I hit Paul Skenes at 45/1 and narrowly missed Colton Cowser. Last year, I cracked Nick Kurtz at 22/1 right before his call up and SHOULD have had Cade Horton at 25/1. With these classes being extremely deep, there's nuisances to betting them.
MLB Rookie of the Year markets are the most challenging because of call-up time, something that's reflected in my preseason bets. Also, it's important to remember that these are extremely high variance and have great in-season betting potential, so a lot of times waiting and seeing is the best option. As of right now, given the status of the field and the odds, there aren't a ton of great picks to make in my opinion.
Wait and See:
Travis Bazzana +3000 (BetMGM)
Some of you may remember that I was hyper-critical of the Guardians taking Travis Bazzana 1.1 in the 2024 draft with the grotesque amount of talent available. It's not because he isn't or won't be good in the pros. He simply seemed like more of a high-floor guy with a merely decent ceiling.
I've watched Bazzana play since 2022 when he was at Oregon State, and scouting his game for so long makes me feel like this is the kind of player that can win. We got the news he won't be on the Opening Day roster for Cleveland, but that's not the end of the world. There's a realistic chance he could be up by the end of April. Somebody that could at least flirt with a 20/20 rookie campaign is always live to win this award. 30/1 is probably going to get longer while he sits in the minors, so I would keep an eye on him for the first couple weeks to see if you can get a better number with a potential call-up date approaching.
AL Rookie of the Year Longshots
Tyler Bremner +10000 (DK)
Like Bazzana, Tyler Bremner was another pick I was extremely critical of when he got taken second overall by the Angels last summer. I didn't think he was a legit future MLB ace, but he did look like a strong mid-rotation guy with a high floor thanks to his double-plus changeup.
The strength of Bremner at UC Santa Barbara the last couple years came via impeccable command, as he issued just 20 free passes in 166 innings to go along with 215 Ks. Granted, the Big West is a long way off the MLB, but he's certainly capable of coming in and making an impact right away. Bremner won't be on the Opening Day roster either, but anybody who's followed baseball the last few years know the Angels move FAST with their early-round picks.
We'll probably see him in an Angels uniform before the start of May, and given the relatively wide-open nature of the AL ROY race, it's not unbelievable to think he can compete at a high level.
NL Rookie of the Year
The NL field has more juice than the AL from an immediate top-tier talent perspective. But again, it's usually better to wait for these markets, because they can move aggressively and quickly.
I'll say it right now: I'm not buying the hype right away on Konnor Griffin. I understand he's incredibly talented, but there's only been a handful of high school guys that have come up to the majors and immediately made the kind of impact needed to win the Rookie of the Year award. There's almost always a learning curve for rookies, and especially for high schoolers.
Nolan McLean has a great chance to win after his stellar performance last year, where he narrowly missed exhausting his rookie eligibility. The reason I wouldn't bet on him right now is the price is too short.
JJ Wetherholt +550 (FD)
I should preface this by saying I won't bet this number. But I want to make it clear that if you removed the betting angles and focus on pure analysis, Wetherholt would be my pick. I've been a huge fan of his since his West Virginia days. This is a guy that got cheated out of the 2023 Golden Spikes award when he had the best overall offensive numbers but was left off the finalist ballot. On draft day in 2024, there was real steam for him to go 1.1 to Cleveland, a pick that I felt and still feel would have been the right move instead of Bazzana.
But even for somebody as pro-ready and talented as Wetherholt, +550 is so short in this market. Although I've been waiting three years to have the chance to bet him to win Rookie of the Year, it's not a preseason bet I can make. Still, I think he has a great chance to win. We're looking at a guy who played three positions in college and has shown legit 30/30 potential in addition to an above-average hit tool.
He's made the Opening Day roster, so he'll have an opportunity to produce right away. For me personally, I'm waiting on an inevitable dip to buy the Wetherholt stock. This kid is the real deal.
Charlie Condon +6000 (FanDuel)
Another titan in the 2024 draft, Charlie Condon put up one of the best offensive seasons in the history of college baseball at UGA back in 2024. He cashed me a nice Golden Spikes ticket at 15/1 as well. You might remember my writeups that included him.
Condon has a lot of similarities to Nick Kurtz in both his style of hitting and his potential. Both have the ability to hit for average and power to all fields while standing at about 6'5". He crushed the ball in spring training (.385 average, three homers, 1.175 OPS in 39 at-bats) but will still begin the year in the minors. Again, it's not the end of the world, because when you factor in both the talent and the fact that he'll be playing at Coors Field, Condon is a guy that can play 130 games and still tank 30 bombs.
CC should get a shot relatively soon, especially if he continues raking in the minors, so I wouldn't sleep on him, as he had the most offensive upside in this class.
NL Rookie of the Year Longshots
Kemp Alderman (Off the Board)
I was trying to keep this a secret, but there was one name I held out on for the last couple months, hoping he would appear on sportsbooks. However, Opening Day is this week and he's still not available anywhere. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared for if and when he shows up.
Kemp Alderman was a part of that 2022 Ole Miss College World Series team. Drafted in the second round of the 2023 draft by the Marlins, he's been tearing up every level for the last few years. Even when you consider the amount of high-level talent in the minors, there are few players that have more raw power than Alderman.
Across Double-A and Triple-A last season (132 games), he cracked 22 homers while swiping 22 bags. Of course, the big bugaboo for him has always been the swing-and-miss, as is the case for most guys. But given his age and experience, he should have an opportunity to get an early enough call up and rack up enough playing time on a bad Marlins team to contend for this award.
Keep an eye out for this dude, because he is a legit 20/20 candidate.
