AL Cy Young Odds Rankings: Cole Juiced, Valdez Rises

The American League is littered with great pitchers, with some new faces joining as potential candidates to win the MLB’s AL Cy Young.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid and our daily MLB picks. 

1. Gerrit Cole -260 (Last week: +100)

Gerrit Cole has re-established himself as a favorite to bring home his first career Cy Young Award. The Yankees ace has continued to be a top-of-the-rotation arm, and his elite tendencies are prevalent whenever he takes the bump. 

Cole has been consistently impressive and tallied a 10-3 record, paired with a sparkling 2.75 ERA and 160 strikeouts. Before his start on August 7, Cole hadn’t allowed more than three earned runs since May 28. Even with a lackluster performance for his standards, Cole still managed to see his AL Cy Young odds bet down from +100 to -290. 

Last Start: August 7 @ Chicago White Sox (7IP, 5H, 4ER, 3SO) 

Next Start: August 13 @ Miami Marlins

2. Framber Valdez +500 (Last week: Unranked in Top Five)

The Houston Astros left-hander has become a prominent figure in the American League Cy Young picture over the past 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 had found himself outside the AL Cy Young race looking in over the last three weeks, but throwing a no-hitter against the Cleveland Guardians on August 1 certainly changed things. Valdez found his dominant stuff again, and he’ll be looking to keep that going tonight against the Baltimore Orioles. Valdez now owns the second-shortest odds to win the AL Cy Young at +500. 

Last Start: August 1 vs. Cleveland Guardians (9IP, 0H, 0H, 7SO)

Next Start: August 8 @ Baltimore Orioles 

The Toronto Blue Jays entered the regular season with a strong rotation, and a significant reason for that is the consistency of Kevin Gausman. He’s been doing an excellent job of holding the Blue Jays staff together. 

Gausman has been superb since signing with Toronto last year. One might even argue he’s been a bargain. The righty has posted an 8-6 record throughout 22 starts, paired with a 3.20 ERA and 177 strikeouts. Gausman has continued to be a strikeout machine, but after a challenging outing against the Baltimore Orioles, he saw his AL Cy Young odds drop from +400 to +600. 

Last Start: August 3 vs. Baltimore Orioles (4 1/3IP, 8H, 3ER, 6SO)

Next Start: August 9 @ Cleveland Guardians

SportsGrid’s Best Daily MLB Prop Picks

Ever since the Seattle Mariners acquired right-hander Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds at the 2022 MLB trade deadline, he’s delivered as a legitimate ace for the club. Castillo gives the Mariners a headliner in a rotation that was looking for one and proved remarkably valuable again in 2023. 

Castillo has kept himself alive in the AL Cy Young race with consistency for the M’s. That said, he is coming off one of his worst showings on the campaign against the Los Angeles Angels. Still, the former Red has recorded a 7-7 record over 23 starts, along with a 3.21 ERA and 155 strikeouts. Castillo saw his odds more than double over the last week from +800 to +1700. 

Last Start: August 4 @ Los Angeles Angels (6IP, 10H, 7ER, 6SO)

Next Start: August 11 vs. Baltimore Orioles 

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.

The two-way phenom has quietly crept back into the AL Cy Young conversation, owing a 9-5 record, paired with a 3.32 ERA and 160 punchouts. The Angels held onto Ohtani at the deadline and may look to regret that, but the Japanese superstar is now back inside the top five at +3500 as a longshot. 

Last Start: August 3 vs. Seattle Mariners (4IP, 3H, 0ER, 4SO)

Next Start: August 9 vs. San Francisco Giants 

Top 5 AL Cy Young Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.