It didn’t take long for a strong contingent of NL ROY candidates in 2024 to emerge. The season isn’t even two months old and already we can tell that the race for NL Rookie of the Year is going to be a good one.
A few pitchers have taken an early lead, but there are also some hitters in the National League worth watching.
Ranking NL Rookie of the Year Contenders in 2024
The rookies in the NL have been so impressive that we can’t rule out one or more of them putting together one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time. That might seem like lofty praise, but this group is good.
Despite being early in the year, let’s take a close look at the top NL ROY candidates in 2024.
5. Andy Pages
To nobody’s surprise, the Dodgers have another homegrown position player making an impact and getting Rookie of the Year consideration. Andy Pages is only 23 but is already becoming a key figure in the Los Angeles lineup.
The Cuban outfielder is batting .287 with nine extra-base hits over his first 23 games in the big leagues. Obviously, he’s going to be overshadowed by the heavy hitters at the top of the order. But Pages is giving the Dodgers quality depth in the bottom half of their lineup, which is helping to make them a dominant team once again.
4. Michael Busch
The Cubs appear to be the early winners of an overlooked January trade that landed them Michael Busch. The former first-round pick has added plenty of power to their lineup with 15 extra-base hits in his first 39 games.
He put himself on the radar for Rookie of the Year when he hit a home run in five straight games in mid-April. Of course, the hard part is being able to sustain that type of productivity over the full season. However, Busch has at least made it clear that he’s one of the best young hitters in baseball, giving him a chance to win ROY honors if he can keep it going.
3. Jared Jones
There is massive hype around Pittsburgh prospect Paul Skenes, but Jared Jones has already started to make his mark with the Pirates and announced himself as a Rookie of the Year contender. Jones is a flame thrower who has struck out 56 batters over his first 47 innings while posting a 2.68 ERA.
On top of that, Jones has a 0.87 WHIP, which is among the best in baseball among starters. He throws serious heat but doesn’t walk a lot of batters or allow much traffic on the base paths. That’s no small feat, which is why Jones is considered a future ace and a serious Rookie of the Year candidate.
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Before the season, Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked like a safe bet for ROY honors. Frankly, some believed he could win Cy Young right away.
The $325 million man has had a couple of rough starts early in his MLB career, but he’s also tossed some gems that have showcased his upside. Yamamoto has started to settle in and pitch more consistently. If he can maintain that level for the rest of the season, he’s going to be hard to ignore in the Rookie of the Year discussion.
1. Shota Imanaga
If Yamamoto doesn’t win Rookie of the Year, it’ll likely be at the hands of another Japanese transplant. Shota Imanaga didn’t come to the big leagues with as much hype as Yamamoto, but he’s out-pitched him thus far.
Through seven starts, the lefty has a 1.08 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP while helping the Cubs win all seven of his starts. Even if his stuff isn’t as good as Yamamoto’s, Imanaga is proving to be a smart and polished pitcher who is keeping hitters off-balance. Of course, it’d be crazy to maintain a 1.08 ERA all season. However, there’s no denying that he’s taken an early lead in the Rookie of the Year competition.
