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The calendar now flips from May to June, which means we have more than two months of data to comb through when it comes to betting on MLB futures. Some big names, unsurprisingly, are in top contention for MVP and Cy Young, and, of course, there's plenty of intrigue surrounding the Rookie of the Year races. Here, we look at who the favorites are for each of the major awards across MLB, as well as some MLB best bets for those interested in futures wagers. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook, and you can look at MLB futures odds at other betting sites as well. 

American League MVP

The favorite: Aaron Judge, -6000

It's hard to think there's a better version of Judge out there than what we saw in 2022 or 2024, but that's what's happened across the first two months of the 2025 season, and the MLB futures odds showcase that with his ridiculous -6000 line for AL MVP.

Judge set an American League record with 62 homers in 2022, and he came up just short of that mark last year with 58, but he had career-high marks in batting average (.322), on-base percentage (.458) and slugging percentage (.739). So far in 2025, the Yankees captain is slashing a ridiculous .398/.490/.778 with 21 homers and 50 RBI. Judge is on pace for his fourth 50-homer season and more than 13 WAR. Those video game numbers, coupled with the Yankees sitting comfortably in first place, have this as Judge's award to lose, and it's not particularly close right now.

Best bet: Cal Raleigh, +10000

Seattle's star backstop put together the best season of an already very good career in 2024 when he slugged 34 homers, drove in 100 runs and also won the Platinum Glove in the American League. He was rewarded with a six-year extension just before the 2025 season began, and he's taken his game to another level so far this season and finds himself sixth at +10000 in the AL MVP odds. He's been the Mariners' best player as they sit atop the AL West. 

The switch-hitting slugger with maybe the best nickname in sports – "Big Dumper" – is slashing .264/.382/.630 (.1.011 OPS), and he's tied for the MLB lead in home runs with 22. Most of Raleigh's offensive production in his career has come from the left side of the plate, but he's already hit eight home runs from the right side off opposing left-handers. He's on pace to slug more than 60 homers, and it's not hyperbole to say we may be seeing one of the best seasons from a catcher in MLB history. Add in his usual stellar work behind the plate and running the Mariners' impressive pitching staff, and Raleigh is clearly among the most valuable players in all of baseball and in the conversation for being the first catcher to win MVP since Buster Posey in 2012. 

Yes, Judge is likely going to win AL MVP in 2025. And yes, there are players with better odds than Raleigh like Bobby Witt at +1500. But if you want the potential of great return mixed with a legit MVP candidacy, Raleigh at +10000 could be seen as awfully appealing.

AL MVP favorites

National League MVP

The favorite: Shohei Ohtani, -240

Ohtani has won three MVPs across the last four years, and he's certainly in contention for the award once again this year with a .298/.395/.667 (1.062) slash line and is tied with Raleigh for the MLB lead in home runs with 22 to go along with 11 stolen bases for the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani's been at the top of his game in the batter's box since 2021, so we've all grown accustomed to him dominating opposing pitchers night in and night out. We'll likely see him on the mound for the first time since 2023 in the near future. Ohtani threw a simulated game last weekend as he recovers from elbow surgery. He's been so great at the plate that it's almost easy to forget he has a career 3.01 ERA and has averaged 11.4 strikeouts per 9 across 481.2 career innings. If he returns close to that form while continuing to punish baseballs, Ohtani can become just the second player in MLB history, alongside Barry Bonds, to win at least four MVP awards. 

Best bet: Pete Alonso, +3000

There are a lot of really good candidates for this section. San Diego's Fernando Tatis has the second-shortest odds in the NL at +700, a duo of Cubs outfielders are in the top five with Pete Crow-Armstrong at +1200 and Kyle Tucker joining Arizona's Corbin Carroll at +1400. But how about the "Polar Bear" Alonso? The Mets' slugging first baseman has the seventh-shortest odds in the National League at +3000. 

Alonso hit free agency for the first time last offseason and didn't secure the long-term payday he was looking for, instead returning to New York on a one-year deal with a player option for 2026. If the first two months of 2025 are any indication, Alonso will be declining that option and testing the market once again, and it's unlikely teams will pass on his services for the second offseason in a row. 

Alonso boasts a .288/.386/.535 (.921 OPS) slash line. He's having the best pure hitting season of his career. And while the home run power has dipped a hair from what we've seen, he has 18 doubles to help boost his slugging numbers. The addition of Juan Soto has been good but not great for the Mets, and Francisco Lindor has been very solid, but Alonso has been the top offensive performer for a Mets team that is just behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, and we may see Alonso's MVP odds get even shorter if he gets into a homer streak like we know he can as the weather heats up. 

NL MVP favorites

  • Shohei Ohtani, -240
  • Fernando Tatis Jr., +700
  • Pete Crow-Armstrong, +1200
  • Corbin Carroll, +1400
  • Kyle Tucker, +1400

American League Cy Young

The favorite: Tarik Skubal, -150

Last year, Skubal emerged as the best pitcher in baseball with a 2.39 ERA, 0.845 WHIP and 228 strikeouts while leading Detroit to a postseason berth and earning a Cy Young along the way. Well, his title defense has been pretty stellar thus far -- the flamethrowing southpaw has a 2.26 ERA, 0.793 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 75.2 innings, including a 13-strikeout complete game against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 25 where he touched 102 mph. 

The Tigers surprisingly have the best record in baseball thus far, and Skubal is certainly doing his part, as he has the shortest odds for the AL Cy Young Award right now while Detroit has gone 8-4 in his starts. We may very well see two straight years where Skubal takes home the hardware and pitches in the postseason. 

Best bet: Kris Bubic, +3000

Raise your hand if you knew Kansas City's Bubic had the most bWAR among MLB pitchers this year. Royals fans, put your hands down. But Bubic does indeed have the most bWAR among hurlers with 3.1, as things have really clicked for the 27-year-old lefty as a full-time starting pitcher. Bubic has a 5-2 record along with an MLB-leading 1.45 ERA.

For those unfamiliar with Bubic's game, he's a four-pitch lefty who doesn't have an overpowering heater (averages 92.4 MPH) but he locates tremendously well and has been among baseball's best when it comes to eliciting swings and misses as well as preventing hard contact. Opponents are hitting just .106 with a 37% whiff rate off his changeup, which is his go-to pitch against right-handed hitters, while his sweeper has an average exit velocity of just 83.6 mph. Skubal is the runaway favorite, but Bubic is another AL Central lefty that should be on your radar.

AL Cy Young favorites

National League Cy Young

The favorite: Paul Skenes, +125

Skenes handled the hype and then some upon debuting last year, and he's carried that over into his first full MLB season to the tune of a 2.15 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 12 starts and 75.1 innings. The big right-hander is averaging 98.0 mph on his 4-seam fastball this year and has six – yes, six – other offerings at his disposal to get big leaguers out. And that's just what the 23-year-old former No. 1 pick is doing. Really the only thing you could say is that his 9.2 strikeouts per 9 are disappointing after he struck out 11.2 per 9 as a rookie. 

Skenes entered 2025 as the favorite to win the NL Cy Young after finishing third in voting last year, when he won NL Rookie of the Year and started the All-Star Game. The Pirates are hardly worth watching these days since the organization is a mess, but they are must-see TV every five days when Skenes toes the rubber. Los Angeles' Yoshinobu Yamamoto is next up at +310 with a 1.97 ERA in 11 starts, followed by Philly's Zack Wheeler at +600 with a 6-2 record and 2.96 ERA.

Best bet: Robbie Ray, +4000

There are so many good pitchers off to great starts in the National League. Skenes, Wheeler and Yamamoto are the clear favorites for Cy Young this year, and pitchers like Logan Webb, Jesus Luzardo and Kodai Senga all have very strong cases. But how about we highlight a former Cy Young winner who is having a stellar 2025 campaign?

That would be 2021 AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, who is back and fully healthy after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. The southpaw was sent to San Francisco ahead of the 2024 season from Seattle due to the Mariners' pitching surplus and Ray's higher salary as he recovered from surgery, and he's made that gamble work out well for the Giants this year. Ray is 7-1 with a 2.43 ERA, and San Francisco has won 10 of his 12 starts thus far. Ray has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 11 of those outings, and he's been instrumental in the Giants' early success in 2025. 

Ray is still missing bats with a 10.0 strikeout per 9 clip this year, and he is utilizing a changeup (13.8%) more than he has in any year since 2014, so he's reinvented himself to a certain degree. Ray could start to pile up strikeouts at an even higher rate at any point, given his 11.0 K/9 career line, which could lead to his +4000 odds shrinking as the season moves on. 

NL Cy Young favorites

  • Paul Skenes, +125
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto, +310
  • Zack Wheeler, +600
  • Hunter Greene, +1200
  • Logan Webb, +1400

American League Rookie of the Year

The favorite: Jacob Wilson, -380

We've seen many sons of former MLB players debut in recent years, such as Witt, Jackson Holliday and, of course, standouts like Tatis and Bo Bichette. Well, there's another young player with MLB bloodlines in A's shortstop Jacob Wilson, the son of former Pittsburgh All-Star shortstop Jack Wilson. The younger Wilson is slashing an absurd .345/.387/.495  this year and is the runaway favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year at -380. If you haven't seen Wilson in action, just know he's a free swinger who makes contact on seemingly every swing. He has struck out just 14 times this year and has some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the league, rivaling the likes of Luis Arraez. He's also a very capable defensive shortstop, which comes as no surprise as his dad was a defensive standout back in his day. 

The A's cooled off tremendously after a solid start, but they're loaded with young talent like Wilson, Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom as well as locked-up bats Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler. They're still at least a year away from playoff contention, but the A's possess a lot of long-term upside, and Wilson should be right in the middle of it. 

Best bet: Shane Smith, +3000

The White Sox are a mess, that much is certain. They lost a whopping 121 games last year and are waiting for their farm to marinate some of their notable prospects. But they have a bright spot in the rotation worth highlighting in Smith, who has been a great story this year. Smith was actually undrafted out of college before signing with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. The White Sox selected him in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, and all Smith has done is post a 2.68 ERA across 11 starts. Smith has been solid across the board and, surprisingly, has the sixth-shortest AL Rookie of the Year odds right now at DraftKings. 

While there are notable prospects like Noah Schultz, Kyle Teel and others dominating headlines in Chicago's farm system, Smith has emerged as a very unlikely building block. And given the White Sox will not be a contender this year, Smith should have every opportunity to continue starting every fifth game, which makes him more than worthy of monitoring when it comes to MLB futures betting. 

AL Rookie of the Year favorites

National League Rookie of the Year

The favorite: Drake Baldwin, +200

Two big-name prospects entered this season as frontrunners for this award -- Los Angeles' Roki Sasaki and Washington's Dylan Crews -- but Sasaki struggled before landing on the injured list, and Crews is hitting under .200 thus far. Enter Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin, who made the Braves' opening day roster and has an OPS of .868 across 36 games as a rookie. His top competition, according to DraftKings, is fellow NL East rookie Agustin Ramirez, who is slashing .256/.319/.504 with seven homers.

Best bet: Matt Shaw, +700

Shaw entered 2025 as a frontrunner for this award, and his case was strengthened before he ever set foot on an MLB diamond, as he made the Cubs' opening day roster as the team's starting third baseman. He didn't get off to the best start, slashing just .172/.294/.241 across 18 games in March and April before being demoted to Triple-A. Shaw got back on track in the minors with a .970 OPS in 24 games, which earned him another call-up on May 19. He's carried the good vibes over to the big leagues with a .359/.419/.487 slash line and .906 OPS in 11 games. It's not a particularly strong or deep year for rookies in the National League, at least thus far, so Shaw has more than enough time and ability to stay hot and cement his place in the race. 

NL Rookie of the Year favorites