With the 2024 MLB season about to commence, time is running out to get action on your MLB futures. We’ll have daily MLB best bets and prop bets for you to follow here at Fantasy Alarm throughout the season, but who doesn’t love throwing down a few bets to root for all year long? 

 

 

 

While you don’t ever want to over-invest, the MLB awards are always a fun bet, especially if you also play fantasy baseball. Cheering on players to win their respective league’s MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year is always great and if you can cash on it come the end of the year, it’s an added bonus.

Here are some of my favorite MLB futures to bet this season!

*All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

MLB Futures Betting: 2024 Awards

American League MVP Predictions

The Favorite – Aaron Judge (+550)

Interesting option here, given Judge’s recent home run totals, but with word that the toe injury could require regular maintenance all year, investing in the favorite is not the way I want to go. Betting his teammate, Juan Soto (+600), to win seems to have a little more value for me as he is primed for a big season in Yankee Stadium in a contract year. That short porch in right is going to boost his power numbers substantially.

Dark Horse Pick – Kyle Tucker (+1700)

He runs a similar risk as betting either Judge or Soto, given the talents of guys like Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman, but Tucker is just entering his age-27 season, playing in his physical prime and showed you just how well he is developing. 

Last season he nearly hit 30 homers for the third-straight season, swiped a career-best 30 bags and vastly improved his plate discipline. If he can post a similar average and OBP this season, the developing power and speed could vault him over some of the more well-known favorites.

 

 

 

National League MVP Predictions

The Favorite – Ronald Acuna (+500)

Unlike Judge in the AL, throwing down something on Acuna to win the award makes sense. It may be a daunting task to repeat 41 homers and 73 stolen bases but if there is a player capable of doing it, it is certainly Acuna. I’m also a big fan of sprinkling a little something on Mookie Betts (+650) who is primed for a spectacular season atop the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.

Dark Horse Pick – Bryce Harper (+1000)

Tough to call Harper a dark horse candidate, but the odds are pretty tasty when you think about what he is capable of doing now that he is a full year removed from elbow surgery. He could easily return to the 35-40 home run range, continue to post an OBP of .400 or better and if he can help lead the Phillies to a division win or even just a playoff spot, he’s doing it with a less star-studded supporting cast.

 

 

 

AL Cy Young Award Predictions

The Favorite – Corbin Burnes (+700)

Would I sprinkle a little something on Burnes as the favorite? Probably. This move to Baltimore was not some big free agent signing where we have to worry about a player’s performance as he tries to live up to the big contract in a new city. He signed a one-year deal with the Brewers in January and was subsequently traded. 

So yes, he’s in a free agent year and that can always lead to big things. I also don’t mind throwing something on Pablo Lopez (+1300) who could take his game to the next level after back-to-back string seasons.

Dark Horse Pick – Grayson Rodriguez (+2000)

I’m usually more in on a guy to break out during his third full season in the majors, but Rodriguez is a special talent who could end up as the ace of this Orioles staff. We know the whiffs are going to be there, but if he can hone his command and control even just a little better, this could be an explosive season for the 24-year-old right-hander. 

 

 

 

NL Cy Young Award Predictions

The Favorite – Spencer Strider (+450)

This race is going to be tighter than most people think. Strider is an amazing talent with a ridiculous strikeout rate. I literally have nothing negative to say about him, so if you want to bet the favorite, bet him now. 

Zack Wheeler (+800) and Logan Webb (+950) follow him in the odds, and both are capable of posting fantastic Cy Young-ish seasons as well. Even Freddy Peralta (+1500) is a solid bet I see a ton of people making. All are worthy but if push comes to shove, I’m betting Strider over them all.

Dark Horse Pick – Dylan Cease (+2500)

I absolutely love this move to San Diego for Cease. Absolutely love it. Yes, the strikeout rate has dwindled a bit, but I look at last season and don’t feel like it was a true representation of the overall talent. Playing for a losing organization like the White Sox, a team with weak defense and a home park that favors hitters, can be a harrowing time for a starting pitcher. 

The defense behind him in San Diego is vastly superior and throwing half his games in Petco will allow him to just pound the strike zone without concern that every ball lifted will find the outfield seats. With some added confidence in his team, I think Cease brings his game to another level. 

 

 

 

AL Rookie of the Year Predictions

The Favorite – Wyatt Langford (+225)

The hype is real and I am betting it. In fact, I placed a bet about a month and a half ago when Langford was sitting at +600, so this change should tell you that if you haven’t bet it yet, you may want to do it now. This kid just spent all spring leading MLB in OPS and he’s hit well at every level he’s played thus far. 

His teammate Evan Carter (+310) is also a popular pick, but after talking with Jim Bowden (who hasn’t been this hyped about a rookie since Juan Soto) and watching video, I cannot dispute the fact that this kid has the hit tool you need and want in a young, rising star. Jackson Holliday (+450) is a nice sprinkle too, but spending the first month in the minors might detract should Langford hit well from the jump.

Dark Horse Pick – Colton Cowser (+1200)

He’s not getting nearly the same publicity Langford, Carter or Holliday are getting, but when the Orioles announced he was making the big club right out of spring training, my betting ears perked right up. The raw power is there. The speed is there. He’s been strong with the on-base work and knows how to take a walk. 

If he can simply cut back on the strikeouts, this could be a spectacular season for him, especially once he pushes Austin Hays to the bench. I’ll also give an honorable mention to Junior Caminero (+1500), but I’m not betting him because I worry that he’s blocked by Isaac Paredes and th Rays could hold him down longer than we’d like.

 

 

 

NL Rookie of the Year Predictions

The Favorite – Yoshinobu Yamamoto (+260)

He’s not technically a rookie, but for betting purposes he is, and we all know how this plays out. Years of professional baseball in Japan has given him the experience and fortitude to be a dominant hurler in the majors and if there was any doubt, the Dodgers (or the three other teams involved) would not have paid him in excess of $300M. 

Don’t sweat the slow start from the Seoul Series. We watched Kodai Senga have early-season adjustment issues too, but turned his entire season around. Yamamoto is even better than Senga, so I’ll just lay it on the favorite.

Dark Horse Pick – Victor Scott II (+3000)

This pick is not for the faint of heart as Scott II has a number of things to work on at the plate. We thought he was going to be able to do that in the minors, but a recent injury to Dylan Carlson, on top of the Tommy Edman and Lars Nootbaar injuries, will leave Scott to man centerfield on Opening Day. 

Defensively he’s ridiculous, and his speed will have him flying around the bases faster than Esteury Ruiz. If he can hone that plate discipline early, he could be locked into this outfield all year. This is a longshot bet and yes, Jackson Merrill (+950), Paul Skenes (+2000) and Jared Jones (+1800) could be better dart-throws, but if I’m not betting Yamamoto, then I’m going big with Scott.