AL Cy Young Odds: Yankees SP Cole In a Tight Race

Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole pitched well enough this year to be the American League starting pitcher in the All Star Game. Cole had a three up three down inning in what was his sixth time making the All Star team and his first time starting the midsummer classic. The Yankees ace will also be looking to win his first ever Cy Young Award this season. 

Gerrit Cole is trying to catch Houston Astros right hander Framber Valdez in the AL Cy Young Award race. Valdez has pitched well enough to be the MLB ERA leader, at 2.51. His team would like to get him more run insurance, as he’s 7-6 despite the Astros 50-41 record. 

Cole’s numbers at the All Star Break are 9-2 with a 2.85 ERA. The Yankees right hander has been a big part in helping the team stay afloat while Aaron Judge nurses a toe injury and their team batting average plummets to 28th in the league. Cole’s 13 quality starts put him in a tie with Valdez for the 2nd most in the big leagues. 

Cole has finished runner-up in the Cy Young voting twice during his career. Alvarez’ highest finish was last year when he finished 5th in the voting. The Yankees are going to be putting a big load on Cole’s shoulders while Judge remains sidelined. If he can rise to the challenge the 2023 AL Cy Young Award could belong to the 11 year veteran.

Shohei Ohtani had been pitching tremendously this season until getting roughed up in San Diego and leaving the game with a blister injury. It was the first time he had been hurt all season and caused his Cy Young odds to dip. The Injury is a concern but he’s still scheduled to start on the mound in the Angels first game back from the All Star Break. 

Ohtani is 4th in the MLB in K’s/9 IP, at 11.8. On top of doing tons of damage at the plate, Ohtani has gone 7-4 record with a 3.32 ERA.

Considering his odds just dropped, this isn’t a bad time to wager on Ohtani. FanDuel had him at +700 to win the award the morning of July 4th. Now, those odds have gone to +1500. This movement has a lot to do with the blister injury and the Angels fall in the standings. They’re now a game under .500 and five games out of the last wild card spot following a five game skid.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanhan holds the 4th longest odds in this race. McClanahan was the Cy Young favorite for much of the first half. On June 27th he had +270 odds to win it on FanDuel.

McClanahan was forced to leave the game on June 30th against the Mariners with lower back tightness and was placed on the IL. The Rays right hander is expected to return within the first week of the start of the second half of the season. McClanahan is still tied for the league lead, with 11 wins and is second in the league with a 2.53 ERA. 

Because he’s got the numbers and is scheduled to return soon, McClanahan holds great value in the AL Cy Young Award race.

Whether or not the Yankees make the playoffs could prove to be the difference maker when it comes to Cole winning the Cy Young award. The race is tight and many of the players also in contention are in playoff position. Obviously Individual performance is important to individual rewards but voters like to reward team success. 

The Yankees will be expected to win on days Cole pitches the rest of the way. His first start in the second half will come at Coors Field against the struggling Rockies on Sunday. If Cole is able to win the AL Cy Young Award he will be the first Yankee to do so since Roger Clemens in 2001.