American League Cy Young Award Odds & Picks

With Jacob deGrom making the move to the American League, the Texas Rangers’ staff ace is the current +500 favorite to become the seventh pitcher in the history of the game to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. Right in back of him is Gerrit Cole who has still yet to take home bragging rights over the course of his 10-year career finishing in second place in the AL voting two of the last five seasons. I personally want nothing to do with either of those arms and will instead look the way of some new blood when attacking the AL Cy Young Awards odds over at PointsBet Sportsbook. As such, here are my favorite, underdog, and longshot selections to be the best pitcher in the American League over the course of the 2023 MLB betting season.

AL Cy Young Award Odds at PointsBet Sportsbook

*Remaining Players all 10-1 or greater

Favorite to Bet: Dylan Cease +850

The Pale Hose dominant right-hander has logged 32 starts in each of the last two seasons. Not only that, but he bettered his numbers in each of those years! In 2021, Dylan Cease went 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA and 226:68 K/BB ratio. He only allowed 139 hits through his 165.2 total innings of work and lowered his BB/9 from 5.2 to 3.7! He also trimmed his HR/9 from nearly 2.0 per game to just over 1.0 per game.

Then last season, Cease would go on to pitch a career-high 184 innings and only allow 6.2 hits per nine innings to log a 14-8 record. On top of that, the righty tallied a 10+ K/9 for the third time in his career after logging an 11.1. Though walks once again proved to be an issue (3.8/9), he pitched to a career-best 1.109 WHIP and held opposing batters to a .190 batting average and .306 slugging percentage – also the best outputs of his career. Should this finally be the season he harnesses his control, it could be one to remember for the White Sox staff ace and the futures bettors that jumped on his bandwagon!

Underdog to Bet: Triston McKenzie +3500

Cleveland’s fireballer has been a favorite of mine over the last two seasons when it comes to betting K props over at PointsBet. Though his K/9 plummeted to 8.9 from 10.2 and 11.3 the prior two seasons, I truly believe there’s more to this package than just a strikeout artist. Triston McKenzie enters his third full season for the Guardians after making 24 and 30 starts the last two years. The kids been tough to barrel up since getting to the Bigs evidenced by his career 6.3 hits per nine average since 2020, but free passes were an issue much like they are for most youngsters making the jump from Triple-A.

However, there was marked improvement in that category a season ago after the righty only averaged 2.1 per nine innings which saw him produce a career-best 3.59 WHIP over the course of 191.1 total innings pitched. Now looked upon as one of the vets of the Guardians pitching staff, I’m expecting another step in the right direction for the soon to be 26-year old. Playing for a team favored to win the division that’s also expected to play a role on the World Series odds, McKenzie might be on the verge of truly breaking out. Should that occur, he’ll be listed amongst the favorites to win this award in short order!

Longshot to Bet: Tarik Skubal +15000

This is an incredible rate of return on a player that only offered up a +3500 ROI heading into 2022! Keep in mind we won’t get a full season out of the fireballer after he was forced to shut it down and go under the knife last August. Still recovering from his successful Tommy John surgery, it’s possible we don’t see him step on a mound until June. But when he does, it’ll only be a matter of time until the right-hander is back to ringing up strikeouts (9.6 K/9) and limiting walks.

Tarik Skubal’s main bugaboo has been allowing contact having served up a grand total of 273 hits through 299 career innings of work. Even so, he pitched to a career-best 2.96 FIP a season ago even though he allowed 104 hits in just over 117 total innings of work. That being said, he served up career-bests in on base (.288) and slugging (.372) percentages with the end result being a career-worst .301 BAbip. Balls seemingly had eyes once they left his opponent’s bats! Should he come back stronger than ever for the Tigers with an improved ability to miss bats, we could be looking at a surprise entrant to the AL Cy Young Award race. That’s certainly worth a dart throw in my opinion with this lottery ticket paying out at 150-1!

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