The AL Rookie of the Year race looks STACKED early

Young standouts starting strong -- or starting to pick it up. Under-the-radar players off to excellent starts. Top prospects waiting for their turn. It’s (very) early, but the American League Rookie of the Year race has EVERYTHING.

Roughly four weeks into 2025, there’s no clear-cut favorite to bring home AL ROY this season, but there’s certainly no shortage of contenders. With the AL’s top rookies generally outperforming their NL counterparts so far this season, it’s worth a look at who might take home the award.

Here’s how the AL Rookie of the Year field is shaping up early in 2025.

Favorites off to strong starts

Kristian Campbell, Red Sox
MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 overall prospect didn’t have the best Spring Training, but his regular-season production sure shows why the Red Sox included him on their Opening Day roster (and handed him an eight-year, $60 million extension). Campbell owns a .316/.418/.500 slash line with three homers and a stolen base, playing primarily second base but also seeing time in left and center field. Campbell has shown patience, power and contact at the plate so far in 2025, and his 0.8 WAR was second among rookies entering Monday.

Jackson Jobe, Tigers
In a starting role for the first time as a Major Leaguer, Jobe has been a welcome addition to the Detroit rotation. Walks have been a problem (he has 10 in 20 innings pitched), but the dynamic right-hander has a 2.70 ERA in his first four starts. Opponents are batting just 2-for-19 against Jobe’s slider, and his sinker and curveball have also been plus pitches. MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall prospect is here to stay, and that’s a welcome sight for Tigers fans.

Jacob Wilson, Athletics
A left hamstring strain suffered in his Major League debut cost Wilson much of 2024, but the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 Draft is back with a vengeance this spring. The A’s shortstop just hasn’t stopped hitting, batting .354 with six doubles and 10 RBIs through his first 21 games while manning a premier position. Sure, Wilson has yet to draw a walk in 2025, but he still leads all rookies in WAR.

Under the radar no more

Kameron Misner, Rays
The unheralded Rays outfielder has been a revelation, hitting .360 with three home runs and a 1.064 OPS for a strong Tampa Bay offense. Misner made his Major League debut at the end of 2024, going just 1-for-15, but he’s certainly picked it up a notch. Ranked only No. 26 among the Rays’ Top 30 prospects last season, Misner has made a major impact early in 2025.

Shane Smith, White Sox
Two of Chicago’s top prospects -- lefties Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith -- will be in the Majors eventually, but Shane Smith is holding it down in the big leagues for now. The White Sox No. 25 prospect has been a bright spot so far, owning a 2.82 ERA and 0.94 WHIP through his first four starts. His scoreless, six-inning, two-hit outing against the Guardians on April 8 is a great example of Smith’s upside -- potential that could make him the AL Rookie of the Year if he can keep it up.

Tomoyuki Sugano, Orioles
Sugano isn’t your traditional rookie, but he’s been just what Baltimore has needed so far in 2025. The 35-year-old from Japan has a 3.43 ERA through his first four starts, most recently a seven-inning, two-run gem against the Guardians on Thursday at Camden Yards. In an injury-plagued, struggling Orioles rotation, the stability Sugano has provided so far has been valuable.

Starting to click?

Jasson Domínguez, Yankees
“The Martian” has had an up-and-down April -- he’s hitting .232 with a .712 OPS after a 445-foot home run Monday -- but he definitely has the talent to vie for Rookie of the Year. After all, it hasn’t been that long since he took the baseball world by storm, homering in four of his first seven career games back in 2023. Domínguez struggled in limited action in 2024, but he’s done well in regular at-bats this season.

Kumar Rocker, Rangers
Rocker certainly helped his early ROY case after his most recent start -- a career-long seven-inning outing Thursday with eight strikeouts. He still has a 6.38 ERA through his first four outings of 2025, but if Rocker has found something, that number could get lower in a hurry.

Cam Smith, Astros
After a strong spring helped him crack the Astros’ roster, Smith went just 1-for-18 to start his rookie season -- but he’s definitely heating up. He slugged his second and third homers of the year on Friday against the Padres and has a .732 OPS through Monday. With three multihit games since April 9, Smith is finding his footing at the Major League level. If he can hit like he did in the Minors and during spring, Smith -- a key piece of the return for Kyle Tucker -- will be a strong ROY contender.

On the mend

Richard Fitts, Red Sox
Fitts built on his impressive four-start debut season in 2024 (1.74 ERA) with three strong starts early in 2025, filling in admirably for a Red Sox rotation missing Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello to injuries. Fitts himself won’t be back for a while -- he’s on the 15-day injured list with a pectoral strain and isn’t expected to return until mid-May -- but he still has a chance to put together a Rookie of the Year-caliber campaign.

Jack Leiter, Rangers
Currently on the 15-day IL, Leiter is poised for a return before the end of April. A blister put a damper on his stellar second outing (five innings, one hit, no runs and six strikeouts), which lowered his ERA to 0.90. It remains to be seen when Leiter does come back and how he looks once he does, but the No. 2 Draft pick in 2021 and longtime top prospect has delivered encouraging early returns.

New arrivals

Luke Keaschall, Twins
Keaschall hit the ground running after being promoted to the Majors on Friday, hitting an RBI single and a double in his first two career at-bats and adding a stolen base. Keaschall can play the infield or the outfield, and his versatility -- plus his excellent bat -- will be a big part of his value as a rookie.

Nick Kurtz, Athletics
The A's already had the Major League home run co-leader in Tyler Soderstrom (9 HR). Now Kurtz, the Minor League leader in homers with seven, is on his way to the Majors. The 6-foot-5, slugging first baseman is hitting .321 with a 1.040 OPS, and he figures to be another big bat in a lineup that already features Soderstrom and Brent Rooker.

Edgar Quero, White Sox
MLB Pipeline's No. 62 prospect has already delivered a big moment for his club. Quero ripped a two-run single on Sunday against the Red Sox, three days after being called up from Triple-A Charlotte. The offensive-minded catcher, who hit .280 with an .829 OPS in the Minors in 2024, should provide an instant boost for Chicago's lineup.

Chandler Simpson, Rays
Speed is the most dynamic factor of Simpson's game -- he led the Minor Leagues with an eye-popping 104 stolen bases in 2024. But Simpson also managed to get himself aboard enough to run so wild, hitting .355 between High-A and Double-A. The outfielder was promoted to the Majors on Friday after just 17 games at Triple-A Durham. There's no race Simpson can't win, including the Rookie of the Year chase.

Waiting in the wings

Last season, Pirates phenom Paul Skenes didn't make his Major League debut until May 11 -- but he still brought home National League Rookie of the Year honors. Here are a few prospects who are still in the Minors but have a strong chance to win ROY if they make their debut.

Roman Anthony, Red Sox
MLB’s top hitting prospect is proving his worth for Triple-A Worcester, batting .290 with four homers and a .994 OPS through Saturday -- including a leadoff blast and a grand slam on Thursday. Still shy of his 21st birthday, Anthony is still young, but he could force his way to the Majors if he keeps raking in the Minors. The earlier he makes his MLB debut, the better his ROY odds are -- and they weren’t bad already.

Coby Mayo, Orioles
Mayo wasn’t great in his lone Major League stint last season (4-for-41, 22 strikeouts), but the talent is undeniable. MLB Pipeline’s No. 13 overall prospect has four homers and an .835 OPS through Saturday for Triple-A Norfolk, reaching base in nine straight plate appearances at one point. With Orioles third basemen hitting just .203 (21st in MLB) this season, Mayo might have a chance to come up and show what he can do.

Travis Bazzana, Guardians
The No. 1 overall Draft pick in 2024 is a well-rounded hitter from the left side, able to make contact, hit for power and lay off chase pitches. Currently hitting .300 with a .897 OPS with Double-A Akron, MLB Pipeline’s No. 9 prospect might not reach the Majors until late in 2025, if he does make it this year. With Andrés Giménez traded to Toronto during the offseason, there could be a long-term spot for Bazzana at second base -- but Gabriel Arias has been very solid there so far this season.