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 -260 (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 and tallied a 10-3 record over 25 starts, paired with a 2.76 ERA and 166 strikeouts. There might not be a ton of dominant performances from Cole over the last month, but he’s certainly been consistent with quality starts. With no pitcher really challenging Cole at the top of the ranks, he’s continued to boast -260 odds as the favorite to capture the AL Cy Young.
Last Start: August 13 @ Miami Marlins (6IP, 2H, 2ER, 6SO)
Next Start: August 19 vs. Boston Red Sox
2. Kevin Gausman +400 (Last week: +600)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 9-6 record throughout 23 starts, paired with a 3.04 ERA and 183 punchouts. Toronto’s workhorse is coming off a tremendous outing against the Cleveland Guardians, where he threw seven shutout innings. Gausman has seen his odds of winning the AL Cy Young bet down over the last week from +600 to +400.
Last Start: August 9 @ Cleveland Guardians (7IP, 4H, 0ER, 6SO)
Next Start: August 16 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Luis Castillo +1100 (Last week: +1700)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. After one of his most difficult outings of the year against the Cincinnati Reds, Castillo bounced back in dominant fashion against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing just one earned run over six innings. The hard-throwing righty has posted an 8-7 record over 24 starts, paired with a 3.14 ERA and 163 strikeouts. Casillo has seen his odds of winning the AL Cy Young bet down from +1700 to +1100 over the last week.
Last Start: August 11 vs. Baltimore Orioles (6IP, 2H, 1ER, 8SO)
Next Start: August 16 @ Kansas City Royals
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4. Framber Valdez +1400 (Last week: +500)
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 appeared to find some consistency early in August. Even though he’s combined to allow nine earned runs over his last two starts after throwing a no-hitter, he’s managed to pitch 14 2/3 innings over those two appearances. The lefty has posted a 9-8 record over 23 starts, along with a 3.31 ERA and 148 strikeouts. Valdez has seen his odds of winning the AL Cy Young nearly triple over the last week, going from +500 to +1400.
Last Start: August 14 @ Miami Marlins (7 2/3IP, 6H, 3ER, 4SO)
Next Start: August 21 vs. Boston Red Sox
5. Shohei Ohtani +3500 (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 has quietly crept back into the AL Cy Young conversation, owing a 9-5 record, paired with a 3.32 ERA and 160 punchouts. Even with Ohtani back in the mix to win the AL Cy Young, he’s still a long shot at +3500 and is having his next start skipped due to fatigue.
Last Start: August 9 vs. San Francisco Giants (6IP, 3H, 0ER, 5SO)
Next Start: N/A
Top 5 AL Cy Young Odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.
| Player | Team | Odds |
| Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | -260 |
| Kevin Gausman | Toronto Blue Jays | 400 |
| Luis Castillo | Seattle Mariners | 1100 |
| Framber Valdez | Houston Astros | 1400 |
| Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels | 3500 |
