SI

AL and NL Cy Young Favorites and Sharp Plays

New York is home to both the National League and American League Cy Young Award betting favorites in 2020.

Frankie Taddeo

Check out the full AL/NL Cy Young Award predictions from the entire SI MLB team.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook the favorites to win the National League and American League Cy Young awards both call New York home. 

Jacob deGrom (+350) of the Mets is the favorite to become just the third pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball to win three straight Cy Young awards. Across the Triborough Bridge, the newest arrival to don pinstripes in the Bronx, Gerrit Cole (+275) of the Yankees, is the favorite to take home the hardware in the American League.

2020 NL Cy Young Preview

In the National League, it’s nearly impossible to fade deGrom. The Mets' ace has been dominant over the past two seasons and is my choice to take home the award once again. The hard-throwing deGrom won’t have an easy path to a three-peat with three-time Cy Young winners Max Scherzer (4/1) and Clayton Kershaw (15/1) as well as a plethora of other outstanding arms in the National League. Bettors should also not easily dismiss Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty (8/1), who was lights out in the second half of last season posting a minuscule 0.91 ERA.

According to my sources, there has been sharp action on several other pitchers outside of the dominant deGrom. Braves ace Mike Soroka (30/1), who finished second to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019, has caught their attention. In addition, they have targeted Cubs starter Yu Darvish (20/1) who had a solid second half of the season after the All-Star break with a 2.76 ERA in 13 starts. Darvish has seen sharp steam with his opening odds of 30-1 dropping by a third.

2020 NL Cy Young Betting Odds

Jacob deGROM (METS) +350

Max SCHERZER (NATIONALS) 4/1

Jack FLAHERTY (CARDINALS) 8/1

Walker BUEHLER (DODGERS) 8/1

Stephen STRASBURG (NATIONALS) 12/1

Clayton KERSHAW (DODGERS) 15/1

Luis CASTILLO (REDS) 18/1

Trevor BAUER (REDS) 20/1

Yu DARVISH (CUBS) 20/1

Aaron NOLA (PHILLIES) 22/1

Patrick CORBIN (NATIONALS) 22/1

Max FRIED (BRAVES) 28/1

Dinelson LAMET (PADRES) 28/1

Mike SOROKA (BRAVES) 30/1

Chris PADDACK (PADRES) 33/1

Sonny GRAY (REDS) 40/1

Josh HADER (BREWERS) 50/1

Robbie RAY (DIAMONDBACKS) 50/1

Zack WHEELER (PHILLIES) 50/1

Brandon WOODRUFF (BREWERS) 50/1

Julio URIAS (DODGERS) 60/1

Jon GRAY (ROCKIES) 66/1

Kyle Hendricks (CUBS) 66/1

German MARQUEZ (ROCKIES) 66/1

Garrett RICHARDS (PADRES) 66/1

Marcus STROMAN (METS) 66/1

Miles MIKOLAS (CARDINALS) 80/1

Madison BUMGARNER (DIAMONDBACKS) 100/1

2020 AL Cy Young Preview

Over in the American League, Cole leads the field as the clear favorite at +275. Cole just missed earning the distinguished honor last season, losing out to former Houston teammate Justin Verlander, who opens the preseason as the second betting choice over at DraftKings Sportsbook at odds of 7/1. Once again, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight that I will be fading all Houston players in futures prop wagering due to the distractions that are sure to linger all season regarding their cheating scandal.

Two players outside of Cole that the sharps have targeted so far in early wagering are Cleveland’s Shane Bieber (8/1), and Yankees pitcher James Paxton (40/1). 

Paxton, who formerly pitched at the top of the Mariners rotation prior to last season, was superb in the second half of 2019 in the Bronx. He posted a stellar 10-0 record after struggling through a first half that saw him post a sub .500 record (5-6). If he is able to sustain that late form, he could thrive. With all the New York media attention focused on teammate Cole, a bet on Paxton offers tremendous value at double-digit odds. However, be sure to monitor his progress  following off-season back surgery. 

Bieber, who broke out last season in Cleveland with 259 strikeouts over 214.1 innings, saw his odds lowered after garnering the sharp action over at the SuperBook and now ranks tied for the third overall betting choice. Another dark horse could be Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez, who could offer immense value at odds of 30/1 if he can make a leap off his impressive 2019 campaign.

2020 AL Cy Young Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Gerrit COLE (YANKEES) +275

Justin VERLANDER (ASTROS) 7/1

Shane BIEBER (INDIANS) 8/1

Blake SNELL (RAYS) 9/1

Mike CLEVINGER (INDIANS) 10/1

Tyler GLASNOW (RAYS) 12/1

Charlie MORTON (RAYS) 12/1

Lucas GIOLITO (WHITE SOX) 18/1

Jose BERRIOS (TWINS) 20/1

Corey KLUBER (RANGERS) 22/1

Carlos CARRASCO (INDIANS) 25/1

Lance LYNN (RANGERS) 25/1

Zack GREINKE (ASTROS) 30/1

Eduardo RODRIGUEZ (RED SOX) 30/1

Hyun-Jin RYU (BLUE JAYS) 35/1

Lance McCULLERS Jr. (ASTROS) 40/1

James PAXTON (YANKEES) 40/1

Frankie MONTAS (ATHLETICS) 100/1

Shohei OHTANI (ANGELS) 50/1

Mathew BOYD (TIGERS) 50/1

Jesus LUZARDO (ATHLETICS) 55/1

Mike MINOR (RANGERS) 60/1

Sean MANAEA (ATHLETICS) 75/1

Dallas KEUCHEL (WHITE SOX) 75/1

Jake ODORIZZI (TWINS) 80/1

Masahiro TANAKA (YANKEES) 100/1

Aroldis CHAPMAN (YANKEES) 100/1

Kyle GIBSON (RANGERS) 100/1

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Frankie Taddeo
FRANKIE TADDEO

Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frankie primarily performs as Sports Illustrated's Senior Betting Analyst providing his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. 

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