The Cy Young Award is typically a wide-open race when it comes to preseason MLB betting, and the 2022 season appears to be no exception. But if you’re looking for the favorites this year, you won’t have to search outside of New York City.
The Mets and the Yankees dominate the list of the top Cy Young contenders in both leagues, though the aces on these respective staffs have plenty of competition this year.
deGrom, Scherzer lead NL Cy Young race
In the National League, two Mets starters top the odds when it comes to winning the Cy Young Award, while a former Met is also a leading contender. Despite coming off an injury-plagued year, Jacob deGrom comes in as the overwhelming +330 favorite to win the 2022 award, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
While deGrom must prove his durability this year, it’s easy to understand how he earned favorite status. He won the Cy Young Award in both 2018 and 2019, and looked well on his way to winning it again – and possibly the NL MVP with it – in 2021.
| NL Cy Young Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook) | |
| Jacob deGrom: +330 | Max Scherzer: +800 |
| Corbin Burnes: +900 | Walker Buehler: +950 |
| Zack Wheeler: +1000 | Aaron Nola: +1200 |
| Max Fried: +1200 | Brandon Woodruff: +1200 |
| Carlons Rodon: +1500 | Logan Webb: +1600 |
In 2021, deGrom put up some of the most impressive numbers in MLB history in the early part of the season. He was 7-2 with an astounding 1.08 ERA over 15 starts and 92 innings before tightness in his forearm sent deGrom to the injured list. He wouldn’t return to the mound for the remainder of the season.
At his best, it’s hard to imagine anyone matching deGrom for the NL Cy Young. However, his durability remains a question, and that makes him a questionable bet when there are several other strong contenders for the award.
Those include new Mets pitcher Max Scherzer, who comes in as the second choice at +800. The 37-year-old Scherzer has won three Cy Young Awards in his career and finished third in the voting in 2021. Scherzer went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA in 2021, pitching for both the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Other NL contenders include defending Cy Young winner Corbin Burners (+900), Walker Buehler (+950), and former Met Zack Wheeler (+1000).
Cole still looking for first award
In the American League, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (+425) comes in as the clear favorite. While Cole had to deal with questions about his usage of foreign substances on the ball last year, there are few pitchers who can match his combination of durability, talent, and consistency. Cole has finished in the top five of Cy Young voting five times and is an excellent pick to win the award in 2021.
| AL Cy Young Odds | |
| Gerrit Cole: +425 | Shane Bieber: +700 |
| Robbie Ray: +900 | Lucas Giolito: +1100 |
| Sean Manaea: +1400 | Dylan Cease: +1400 |
| Lance McCullers Jr.: +1400 | Shane McClanahan: +1600 |
| Chris Sale: +1600 | Justin Verlander: +1600 |
Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber (+700) represents the biggest challenge to Cole in the Cy Young voting. Bieber won the award in 2020, but threw fewer than 100 innings in 2021. While Bieber should recover well from the shoulder injury that limited him last year, like deGrom, he represents a dangerous bet due to his durability issues.
2020 AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray comes in as a +900 choice to repeat. Ray enjoyed a career year with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, and it’s questionable whether he can repeat that success in Seattle this year. Ray is only 62-58 with a 4.00 ERA for his career, and we can expect at least some regression this season.
Other top AL contenders include Lucas Giolito (+1100), Sean Manaea (+1400), Dylan Cease (+1400), and Lance McCullers Jr. (+1400).
Get your ducks in a row by keeping up to date with Online Gambling’s 2022 MLB Schedule for bettors.