By John Sbisa,WI Sports Heroics

Copyright yardbarker

Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin is having an incredibly underrated season. Fourth in Rookie of the Year odds, his 2.7 WAR is tied for second among NL rookies. He is perhaps the most well-rounded candidate, showcasing a combination of solid defense, contact skills, sneaky power, and good baserunning.

Durbin’s strong case likely won’t be enough to win over voters. Riding two-and-a-half months of excellence, Cubs rookie hurler Cade Horton has steamed atop the odds leaderboard. Entering Saturday, he was listed as the odds-on favorite ahead of Braves catcher Drake Baldwin in second. In the betting market, those two lead the pack and Horton is pulling away.

Is that fair to Brewers candidates like Durbin and Isaac Collins? The latter has faded from his brightest, but he still has good numbers. Is it fair to Baldwin? Let’s take a look at Horton’s case.

Lights-out run has vaulted Horton to the top over Brewers’, Braves’ entries

Perhaps more than any other award, Rookie of the Year races are often decided by momentum. (Remember how Jacob Misiorowski was favored after two starts. Oddsmakers jumped the gun a bit on that one.) The pool of candidates is smaller than for MVP or Cy Young, and the players are less predictable. If a rookie starts out hot, it can be hard to tell whether it’s a fluke or repeatable success. The names on the leaderboard flip-flop throughout the season.