MLB Cy Young Odds: AL Race Is Sealed

Many MLB pitchers take the ball every five days, but only a few regularly dominate. In the 2024 MLB Cy Young odds, the top hurlers stand out.

Let’s determine some betting value for the Cy Young odds this season in the AL and NL:

American League Cy Young Odds

Odds as of August 30

Skubal has been a rockstar this year, cementing his status as the favorite with an AL-leading 2.58 ERA and 2.58 WHIP. He's clearly going to win this award, as his massive -5000 chalk status suggests. Any value picks will be grasping at straws, so let's check out one longshot with an interesting case to win the AL Cy Young... as a reliever. 

AL Cy Young Value Pick: Emmanuel Clase (+2500)

Eric Gagne (2003, NL) is the only reliever ever to win a Cy Young award, and it appears that will remain the case after 2024, but let's look at Clase's case. The Guardians closer has been baseball's best ninth-inning man for a while now, and his '24 performance follows that trend.

Clase is on fire this year, holding a 0.58 ERA with just one homer and four earned runs allowed all season. That's wid. The righty is on pace to shatter his previous season-high of 44 saves, likely leading the Guardians to an interesting postseason run. For perspective, the MLB average ERA+ is 100. Clase owns a 723 ERA+, suggesting he's been seven times better than an average pitcher. 

National League Cy Young Odds

Odds as of August 30

Sale has a good beat on this award, though he doesn't have the closed-and-shut case Skubal has. The 35-year-old checks multiple boxes, leading MLB in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, fortifying his case. If the season ended today, Sale would win, but that doesn't mean he's a guarantee come the end of the regular season.

NL Cy Young Value Pick: Zack Wheeler (+500)

I pity the folks joining the futures race at this point, but Wheeler is your only bet in the final month of the season. The Phillies ace matches durability with high strikeout rates to make his case, and his status as the top pitcher on baseball's most dangerous team helps, too. While Wheeler's standard numbers are great, he's a little short on wins, and even his high strikeout numbers pale in comparison to Sale's whopping 11.5 K/9. 

MLB Cy Young Award History

Making A Cy Young Futures Bet

Betting on an MLB Cy Young Award is a form of futures betting because you are making a pick based on an outcome determined at the end of the MLB regular season. The trophy is usually given out in mid-December and if you want to get a bigger payout, it’s best to lock in your bets sooner rather than later so you can take advantage of better odds. The closer it gets to the end of the season, the more the odds will change.

For an X’s and O’s read on how America’s pastime works, check out our How to Bet on Baseball guide. Unlike the Mets every year, it won’t let you down. 

How To Read MLB Cy Young Odds

The above charts feature the odds for each top pitcher in the American League and National League. At your sportsbook of choice, the betting lines for the National League could look something like this:

Zack Wheeler +150

Corbin Burnes +160

Max Scherzer +190

This means that Wheeler is the favorite since he has the lowest odds and the highest chance of winning the prop, according to oddsmakers. If you were to bet $100 on Wheeler and he won, you would get a payout of $250 – your original $100 is returned along with your winnings of $150.

On the other hand, if you strongly believe that Corbin Burnes is going to shine in Milwaukee, a winning $100 bet on him would yield $260 – your $100 comes back along with your prize of $160.

Our odds calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.