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Paul Skenes’ historic start has him betting favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Paul Skenes is showing in no uncertain terms that the stuff that made him so dominant at LSU plays in the pros.
Skenes has now made 9 starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates since getting the call to the big leagues. Over 52.1 IP, Skenes is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA, 70 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.03. Opponents have a .228 average against the flamethrower.
With so many Ks and just 12 earned runs in his first 9 games, Skenes is in a class all by himself.
Every pitcher in history to strike out 70 batters in the first 9 games of their MLB career while not allowing more than a dozen runs:
1. Paul Skenes
That’s it. That’s the list. pic.twitter.com/3DFNAo6kl0
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 30, 2024
Skenes reached 70 innings on Saturday. On the road in Atlanta, he went toe-to-toe with Braves ace Max Fried. Fans of pitching were in for a treat.
Skenes allowed a leadoff homer, but that would be his only run. He finished with a line of 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K against the defending NL East champions. He received a no-decision, as Atlanta won via walk-off in extra innings.
Skenes pulls ahead in NL Rookie of the Year race
In just over a year, Skenes has won a national championship and been selected No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft. His next big accomplishment may be winning NL Rookie of the Year.
BetMGM has shared multiple times in the month of June that Skenes has the most bets and the most money bet among NL Rookie of the Year candidates, making him the book’s biggest liability.
The most interesting development comes with line movement. Before getting the call, Skenes’ opened with +1300 odds at BetMGM to win NL Rookie of the Year.
On June 11, Skenes had +300 odds at BetMGM, trailing Shota Imanaga at +140. By June 18, Skenes was at +150, behind Imanaga at +100. On June 25, however, Skenes moved to -185 as the new betting favorite, with Imanaga’s odds shifting to +500.
As of Sunday, Skenes’ NL ROTY odds are now -275 at BetMGM. For those who did not get in early on Skenes, it would now take a $275 wager to win $100 for a $375 payout if Skenes is named the NL’s top first-year player.
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Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
