AL Cy Young Odds Rankings: McClanahan, Valdez Both Bet Down
Zack Cook
Host · Writer
The American League is littered with great pitchers, with some new faces joining as potential candidates to win the MLB’s AL Cy Young.
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1. Shane McClanahan +260 (Last week: +310)
One of baseball’s most dominant left-handed starters is Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays. Every time he takes the hill, he gives Tampa a chance to win and continues to improve after each passing start.
McClanahan has been the class of the American League on the mound in 2023. The lefty went up against one of the top offenses in baseball his last time out, which saw him pitch seven innings and allowed three earned runs against the Texas Rangers. With another quality start for the left-hander in the books, McClanahan has seen his odds to win the American League Cy Young bet down from +310 to +260.
Last Start: June 11 vs. Texas Rangers (7IP, 4H, 3ER, 5SO)
Next Start: June 16 @ San Diego Padres
Check out the AL ROY Odds Leaders
2. (Tie) Gerrit Cole +600 (Last week: +550)
You better not forget about veteran Gerrit Cole when considering the American League Cy Young race. Cole has continued to be a top-of-the-rotation arm, and his elite tendencies are prevalent whenever he takes the bump.
After a troublesome stretch to end May for Cole, the righty appears to have regained his form in June. Over 12 innings pitched this month, Cole has allowed just three earned runs. Even with the recent positivity surrounding Cole, oddsmakers will need to see more from him, considering his odds of winning the AL Cy Young dropped over the last week from +550 to +600.
Last Start: June 9 vs. Boston Red Sox (6IP, 7H, 2ER, 6SO)
Next Start: June 14 @ New York Mets
2. (Tie) Framber Valdez +600 (Last week: +750)
The Houston Astros left-hander has become a prominent figure in the American League Cy Young picture over the last few years. Framber Valdez headlines the Astros rotation and has the stuff to be considered one of the league’s top starters. Not only has his record proved that over the years, but his pitch mix is high-end.
Valdez has remained a remarkably consistent presence for the Astros every fifth day on the mound. The prized lefty has only allowed more than three earned runs once over his last seven starts, which has played a significant role in his odds rising once again to win the AL Cy Young. Over the previous week, Valdez has moved from +750 to +600, where he sits in a tie with Cole for the second-shortest odds.
Last Start: June 8 @ Toronto Blue Jays (5IP, 4H, 3ER, 5SO)
Next Start: June 14 vs. Washington Nationals
4. Shohei Ohtani +950 (Last week: +900)
It’s not just at the plate that Shohei Ohtani brings his elite presence, but also on the bump. Ohtani is one of the most electric starters in the game and has continued to pitch like a Cy Young capable arm in 2023 for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani wasn’t perfect by any means against the Seattle Mariners, and that factored into his odds dropping slightly over the last week. He’s now allowed three or more earned runs in each of his previous two starts, leading to his odds falling off from +900 to +950.
Last Start: June 9 vs. Seattle Mariners (5IP, 3H, 3ER, 6SO)
Next Start: June 15 @ Texas Rangers
5. Kevin Gausman +1000 (Last week: +1100)
The Toronto Blue Jays entered the regular season with a strong rotation, and a big reason for that is the consistency Kevin Gausman has given them from the top. That’s carried over into 2023, and he’s been solid through over two months of the year.
It wasn’t a very positive showing for Gausman during his last time out, though, which is pretty uncharacteristic. The Blue Jays’ right-hander was knocked around by the Minnesota Twins and allowed six earned runs, yet he still found his odds of winning the American League Cy Young improve over the last week. Gausman still boasts the fifth-shortest odds to win the award after being bet down from +1100 to +1000.
Last Start: June 11 vs. Minnesota Twins (4 2/3 IP, 7H, 6ER, 4SO)
Next Start: June 17 @ Texas Rangers
Top 5 AL Cy Young Candidates Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.
| Player | Team | Odds |
| Shane McClanahan | Tampa Bay Rays | 260 |
| Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | 600 |
| Framber Valdez | Houston Astros | 600 |
| Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels | 950 |
| Kevin Gausman | Toronto Blue Jays | 1000 |
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