"Jackson Merrill is a show pony" - Ex-MLB star believes Paul Skenes & Padres OF overshadowing Jackson Chourio in NL Rookie of the Year race

As the regular season continues to wind down, the race for the National League Rookie of the Year Award continues to heat up. MLB fans have been treated to a surge of young talent entering the league this season, with several rookies even being named to the All-Star Game.

Two standout players in this race are Jackson Merrill and Paul Skenes, who are widely seen as the frontrunners for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Merrill is the betting favorite.

In an episode of "Talkin' Baseball," former MLB star Trevor Plouffe discussed the ongoing race in the National League. He also gave Merrill credit for his performances this season.

"He's a show pony, he's got good hair, handsome guy, I think he's single... He's been doing it for them all year out in center field... for a lot of the season, putting the Padres on his back [1:21:20]," Trevor Plouffe said.

Plouffe also discussed Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who has been equally impressive. The former Minnesota Twins infielder said that while Skenes has been strong, he felt that the fact that he opened the year in the minor leagues works against him.

"The other guy in this race... a lot of people like the domination that he's shown... well, he wasn't up all year, not his fault, that's the Pirates' fault [1:21:45]," Plouffe said of Paul Skenes.

Despite giving credit to both Merrill and Skenes, Plouffe believes that Milwaukee Brewers star Jackson Chourio should be considered as a much more serious contender for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

"I think the guy with the +2500 odds should be in the race...Jackson Chourio, why is he so far behind Jackson Merrill... He's been balling out as of late [1:22:30]," Plouffe asked regarding the Brewers rookie star.

Although Plouffe started off by saying how Chourio struggled at the beginning of the season, he now has a higher WAR than Merrill. Chourio has also put up a .276 batting average with 21 home runs, 20 stolen bases and a .808 OPS. Yet, despite his production, FanDuel has him far behind Merrill in the betting odds.

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Jackson Merrill is the favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award

Even though Trevor Plouffe made a compelling case for Jackson Chourio to be considered for the prestigious award, the betting websites are less favorable for the Brewers' star compared to Merrill.

The San Diego Padres outfielder is considered the heavy favorite at -750 on FanDuel. Paul Skenes has the second-best odds at +420, and Chourio is at +3700. With limited time remaining in the year, it looks like it's Merrill's award to lose, despite Plouffe's shout-out of Chourio.