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. Gerrit Cole -155 (Last week: -260)
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 for the Yankees, but he’s still struggled to find success against their biggest rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Cole allowed six earned runs over four innings against the BoSox his last time out, which caused his odds of winning the AL Cy Young to drop from -260 to -155.
Last Start: August 19 vs. Boston Red Sox (4IP, 7H, 6ER, 4SO)
Next Start: August 25 @ Tampa Bay Rays
2. (Tie) Kevin Gausman +350 (Last week: +400)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 a 9-7 record over 24 starts, paired with a 3.24 ERA and 187 strikeouts. Gausman has continued to be a strikeout machine for the Blue Jays and has seen his AL Cy Young odds bet down over the last week from +400 to +350.
Last Start: August 16 vs. Philadelphia Phillies (5 1/3IP, 7H, 5ER, 4SO)
Next Start: August 23 vs. Baltimore Orioles
2. (Tie) Luis Castillo +350 (Last week: +1100)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. He’s coming off a dominant outing against the Chicago White Sox, pitching seven innings and striking out nine. Castillo lowered his season ERA to 3.15 with the victory and saw his AL Cy Young odds bet down considerably from +1100 to +350.
Last Start: August 21 @ Chicago White Sox (7IP, 5H, 1ER, 9SO)
Next Start: August 27 vs. Kansas City Royals
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4. George Kirby +2000 (Last week: Unranked in Top Five)
One thing that’s been very obvious about the Seattle Mariners in 2023 is that they have an elite pitching staff. George Kirby joins his teammate Luis Castillo in the top five odds to win the American League Cy Young after continuing to put up quality starts with his high-end pitch mix.
Even though Kirby inserted himself into the AL CY Young discussion, he isn’t coming off his best start of the year, allowing four earned runs to the Kansas City Royals. Still, the M’s hurler has registered a 10-8 record over 24 starts, along with a 3.23 ERA and 133 punchouts. Kirby boasts +2000 odds to win the AL Cy Young.
Last Start: August 17 @ Kansas City Royals (6IP, 8H, 4ER, 2SO)
Next Start: August 23 @ Chicago White Sox
5. Shohei Ohtani +2700 (Last week: +3500)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 is set to make his return to the mound after having a pair of his starts skipped due to fatigue. Ohtani has been dominant when he’s been on the mound this season, tallying a 10-5 record over 22 starts, paired with a 3.17 ERA and 165 punchouts. With his return on the horizon, Ohtani has seen his AL Cy Young odds rise from +3500 to +2700.
Last Start: August 9 vs. San Francisco Giants (6IP, 3H, 0ER, 5SO)
Next Start: August 23 vs. Cincinnati Reds
Top 5 AL Cy Young Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.
| Player | Team | Odds |
| Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | -155 |
| Kevin Gausman | Toronto Blue Jays | 350 |
| Luis Castillo | Seattle Mariners | 350 |
| George Kirby | Seattle Mariners | 2000 |
| Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels | 2700 |
