2022 AL Cy Young Futures – August 3

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 August 3):

Last week: For the first time in a few months, Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros has the best odds to win the AL Cy Young. The 39-year-old righthander is coming off a start where he pitched into the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners, picking up his sixth straight win and 14th on the year.  

This week: The veteran starter has lowered his season ERA to 1.81 and is set to make his next appearance when the Astros visit the surging Cleveland Guardians on Thursday night. Verlander hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in a start since June 18. 

Last week: Shane McClanahan ran into some trouble after the All-Star break and had a difficult time with the Cleveland Guardians lineup, pitching into the fifth inning but allowing seven hits and five earned runs while also walking three batters. That start propelled Verlander back to the top position in the odds rankings. 

This week: The Rays’ prized lefthander will look to get things back on track in his pursuit of the AL Cy Young when he starts on Saturday as Tampa Bay visits the Detroit Tigers. McClanahan still owns a 10-4 record but now has a 2.07 ERA on the campaign. 

Dylan Cease – White Sox (+500)

Last week: The Chicago White Sox righthander has quietly been propelling up the AL Cy Young rankings and is making a case to be considered amongst the top two. Another quality start saw him pitch six innings and allow one earned run against the Oakland Athletics on July 31. It’s only a matter of time before you see his odds continue to rise. 

This week: Dylan Cease will look to continue his train of quality starts when the White Sox visit the Texas Rangers on Friday evening. Cease has allowed one earned run or fewer in every start since May 29, which has helped lower his ERA on the season to 2.01. 

Shohei Ohtani – Angels (+1100)

Last week: In his quest to contend for the AL CY Young and AL MVP, Shohei Ohtani had another quality outing on the bump but picked up a loss to the Texas Rangers. The righthander pitched six innings and allowed just two earned runs while striking out 11 batters. 

This week: Ohtani will get a chance to avenge his second straight defeat when the Los Angeles Angels take on the Oakland Athletics later tonight. Ohtani has posted a 9-6 record this season, with a 2.81 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 17 starts. 

Last week: The AL Cy Young race appears to be a three-horse race through four months, but you still can’t discount what Alek Manoah has done in the Toronto Blue Jays rotation. He’s still coming off a challenging outing where he pitched five and 1/3 innings while allowing four earned runs in a loss to the Detroit Tigers over the weekend. 

This week: Manoah will have a chance to get back into the conversation when the Blue Jays face off with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. The big righthander now has an 11-5 record, combined with a 2.43 ERA and 114 strikeouts on the campaign. 

Justin Verlander has taken control of the AL Cy Young race over the last week and is also the book’s biggest liability. Verlander holds 14.2% of tickets and 19% of the handle, leading both categories. Alek Manoah remains the only other pitcher with more than 10% of tickets at 12.4%. Four pitchers hold more than 10% of the handle, headlined by Verlander and followed by McClanahan with 13.4%, Ohtani with 13.2%, and Manoah with 12%. 

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