While most of the focus right now is on which teams will end up making the playoffs, with the Wild Card hunts coming down to the wire, we can’t forget about the individual awards. With that said, in this piece we’re showing love to the star pitchers in the AL and NL, as we’re providing MLB futures picks for Cy Young winners. Which star hurlers will end up taking home the honors?
Over in the American League, Robbie Ray is the favorite to win AL Cy Young this season. The man has been nothing short of sensational, as Ray has looked superb from start to finish this year for the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto is in the Wild Card race, as they’re trying to hold off the Yankees for a postseason spot. The team will of course look to Ray to try and record some big games to close out the regular season.
As of this writing, the veteran pitcher is 12-6 on the season with a 2.72 ERA. On top of that, Ray has recorded a mind-blowing 238 strikeouts and 1.03 WHIP. Those kinds of stats really showcase just how great he’s been and how dominant he is going up against batters. Ray really does make life frustrating for his opposition, as he features some nasty pitches.
| Cy Young odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray to win | -175 | -175 | -175 | -175 |
| Cole to win | +210 | +210 | +210 | +210 |
| Scherzer to win | -210 | -210 | -210 | -210 |
| Burnes to win | +200 | +200 | +200 | +200 |
According to the Las Vegas sportsbooks, Ray has -175 MLB odds to win AL Cy Young. Those are the top odds for all pitchers, but he’s surely not the only one in the mix to win it. Over in New York, Gerrit Cole has also been strong this year. The same can be said for White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn, and White Sox hurler Carlos Rodon. For the Angels, don’t forget about Shohei Ohtani either.
At the end of the day, though, it’s going to be tough for anyone to catch up to Ray. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Blue Jays and he really has looked like the best pitcher in the American League during the spring and summer. It’s our opinion that he’ll end up taking home the AL Cy Young, as he’s our pick to capture the glory. Do you agree? Check out our MLB betting sites, like Bovada, and get a wager in.
On the other side of things, there’s simply no denying that Max Scherzer is worthy of NL Cy Young this year. After starting the campaign with the Washington Nationals, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off the big-time deal before the trade deadline to not only land Scherzer, but superstar Trea Turner as well. For Scherzer, he’s kept his strong play going ever since arriving in LA.
On the year, the hard-throwing righty is 15-4 with a 2.08 ERA. He’s also recorded 226 strikeouts. As great as he was with the Nationals, Scherzer hasn’t missed a beat since joining the Dodgers. Currently, the Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series, which really should come as no surprise. After winning it all last year, the team has only gotten stronger.
Per the oddsmakers, Scherzer indeed is the favorite to win NL Cy Young with his -210 odds. Elsewhere, Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler, Zach Wheeler, Brandon Woodruff and Kevin Gausman are also players hoping to try and snatch the Cy Young award away from Scherzer. That’s of course going to be a difficult task, as Scherzer has been so fantastic.
With the Dodgers expected to go on a deep postseason run too, and Scherzer being the ace, it’s only going to make his case even stronger. It’d be considered a huge upset if Scherzer weren’t to win this award. With all of that said, he’s no question our pick to take home the Cy Young honors. It will be well deserved for him, as Scherzer is one of the best pitchers in the game.
While the focus of this article has been the Cy Young, how about the MVP Award? Well, in the American League, no one is going to catch up to Ohtani for the MVP. The lefty slugger has been downright amazing both at the plate and on the bump. He’s such a special talent and Los Angeles is blessed to have him make plays both as a pitcher and as a hitter for them. He’s 100 percent the pick to win AL MVP.
Over in the National League, it’s a two-man race between Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres. Earlier in the year, it looked like Tatis was going to run away with the MVP. He’s one of the most electric hitters in all of baseball. Well, Harper has really turned things on in the second half of the season, which has made things interesting.
Believe it or not, Harper is now the favorite to win NL MVP, as he holds -130 odds. Meanwhile for Tatis, he’s been listed at +110. This really is going to be a close battle until the end, with either guy having a shot at claiming things. However, Harper has simply been so incredible to close out the regular season, that we’re going to give him the slight edge. Harper is our pick.
