2022 AL Cy Young Futures – July 20

The American League is loaded with talented pitchers, and there’s no shortage at the top of the current AL Cy Young odds on the BetMGM Sportsbook. Veteran arms like Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are in the race again, while new faces like Kevin Gausman and Nestor Cortes have inserted their names into the conversation.

Here are the leaders in 2022 AL Cy Young odds (as of July 20):

Last week: The Tampa Bay Rays stud starter went into the All-Star break on a positive note, pitching six and 1/3 innings against the Boston Red Sox on July 13, allowing just one earned run and picking up his tenth victory of the season. 

This week: Shane McClanahan had the honor of starting the All-Star Game for the American League, which saw him struggle to get through the first inning, allowing two earned runs. The good news for McClanahan is that this contest didn’t count towards his numbers and won’t sway the vote one way or another. Tampa Bay has a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals over the weekend, but don’t be surprised if the left-hander doesn’t start again until early next week. 

Last week: Justin Verlander has done what he’s needed to do to stay near the top in the AL Cy Young race. The issue is that McClanahan is pitching just as well, if not better. Verlander last started on Saturday, which saw him pick up his 12th victory of the year after pitching six shutout innings and striking out ten. 

This week: Verlander was selected to the MLB All-Star Game for the ninth time in his career and hasn’t seen his numbers dip after missing the bulk of 2020 and 2021. The Astros will exit the All-Star break and take on the red-hot Seattle Mariners, while Verlander will likely see an appearance at the end of that series or early next week against the Oakland Athletics. 

Shohei Ohtani – Angels (+700)

Last week: Shohei Ohtani has been quietly pitching at an elite level over the last month and a half and has seen his odds climb to the third highest number in the AL Cy Young race. Ohtani completed his first half with another gem, picking up his ninth victory of the season after pitching six innings and allowing one earned run, and fanning 12. 

This week: The two-way star announced prior to the All-Star Game that he wouldn’t pitch in the event, which lines him up for a start in the team’s first game outside of the break on Friday night, where they’ll visit the Atlanta Braves. Ohtani is 9-4 this season with a 2.38 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 87 innings. 

Last week: New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has been hanging around the AL Cy Young race but is considered a longshot right now at +900. Cole entered the All-Star break after notching his ninth victory of the season against the Boston Red Sox, pitching seven innings and allowing two earned runs while striking out 12. 

This week: The Yankees’ right-hander was selected to his fifth MLB All-Star game and rightfully so, recording a 9-2 record with a 3.02 ERA through 19 starts this season. Cole was inactive for the All-Star Game, meaning it’s a possibility he could start this weekend against the Baltimore Orioles. 

Dylan Cease – White Sox (+1100)

Last week: Dylan Cease sent the Chicago White Sox into the All-Star break with another high-quality start, pitching seven shutout innings and striking out eight en route to a victory against the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins. 

This week: The White Sox right-hander was likely snubbed for the All-Star Game, but that could benefit him during the stretch run this season, where he’ll be looking to build off a strong end to the first half of his season. Cease is currently 9-4 with a 2.14 ERA and MLB-leading 150 strikeouts, while there’s a likelihood he starts this weekend in a big divisional clash with the Cleveland Guardians. 

Justin Verlander and Alek Manoah are still the only two pitchers owning more than 10% of tickets in the AL Cy Young race, with the Astros right-hander leading the charge with 13% of tickets, followed by Manoah’s 12.7%. 

Verlander has also seen the most money go in his direction, owning the highest handle percentage at 16.7%. That percentage is followed by Shohei Ohtani with 13.5% and current front runner Shane McClanahan with 12.7%.

And here are the Top Ten 2022 AL Cy Young odds: