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Image for Jay Sanin Jay Sanin - Updated May 23, 2023

MLB Cy Young Odds: McClanahan Moves Up in AL, Strider Increases NL Lead

The 2023 MLB season has arrived, which means that a new race to win the Cy Young award has started in both the American and National Leagues. Here, we will analyze the current MLB Cy Young odds at various MLB betting sites, with our MLB experts regularly making their predictions throughout the season. 

With our MLB Cy Young predictions, we will show you value betting opportunities in each league’s betting markets throughout the season. Instead of going with the conventional wisdom for this award, our analysis will maximize the chances of turning a profit betting on the awards for the best pitcher in each league.

AL Cy Young Odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, correct as of 5/22/23

Player

Odds

Team

Gerrit Cole

+400
BET HERE

New York Yankees

Shane McClanahan

+400
BET HERE 

Tampa Bay Rays

Shohei Ohtani

+700
BET HERE 

Los Angeles Angels

Kevin Gausman

+1200
BET HERE 

Toronto Blue Jays

Joe Ryan

+1400
BET HERE 

Minnesota Twins

Framber Valdez

+1600
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Houston Astros

Sonny Gray

+1800
BET HERE 

Minnesota Twins

Nathan Eovaldi

+2000
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Texas Rangers

Eduardo Rodriguez

+3500
BET HERE 

Detroit Tigers

Shane Bieber

+4000
BET HERE 

Cleveland Guardians

NL Cy Young Odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, correct as of 5/22/23

Player

Odds

Team

Spencer Strider

+220
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Atlanta Braves

Zac Gallen

+350
BET HERE 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Clayton Kershaw

+1100
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Los Angeles Dodgers

Mitch Keller

+1500
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Pittsburgh Pirates

Zack Wheeler

+2000
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Philadelphia Phillies

Julio Urias

+2300
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Los Angeles Dodgers

Logan Webb

+2300
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San Francisco Giants

Freddy Peralta

+4000
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Milwaukee Brewers

Corbin Burnes

+4500
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Milwaukee Brewers

Aaron Nola

+5000
BET HERE 

Philadelphia Phillies

Best MLB Betting Promotions

When betting on your MLB Cy Young predictions throughout the 2023 season, bettors will want to take advantage of the many MLB sportsbook promotions that are up for grabs. This includes the 20% deposit bonus worth up to $1,000 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Those bonus funds can be used to wager on this award at a nice plus price before having to risk any money of your own.

Also worth taking advantage of when betting on Cy Young futures is the $1,000 no-sweat first bet promotion from FanDuel Sportsbook. That offer lets bettors place their first wager on Cy Young futures, with the ability to receive $1,000 in site credit back if that first wager does not win. That peace of mind can really come in handy given the unpredictability of a full MLB season.

MLB Cy Young Odds

AL Cy Young Odds Analysis & Predictions

When looking at the AL Cy Young odds, there is now a tie at the top between Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays. Cole entered this season as the favorite to win the award, while McClanahan was not expected to be a contender for the award. But it looks like we could head into the summer with Cole and McClanahan battling it out to see who will be the AL Cy Young winner.

Cole is 5-0 so far this season, posting an ERA of 2.01 entering this week’s action in Major League Baseball. The Yankees have lost just two of Cole’s starts so far this season, but the Yankees have failed to win him any decisions through the first half of the month of May. The Yankees will need to give Cole a combination of run support and relief pitching that will help him pick up more wins if Cole wants to win the Cy Young.

Meanwhile, Shane McClanahan has started this season with a 7-0 record and a 2.05 ERA. Tampa Bay has lost just one game that McClanahan has started this year, and he has only allowed more than two runs in just one start as well. He has been a huge reason that the Rays have started the year with the best record in baseball, and he has shot up to the top of the list of AL Cy Young favorites as a result.

Sliding down the list of Cy Young favorites has been Shohei Ohtani, who is now at +700 to win this award. Ohtani has seen his ERA creep above 3.00 on the season, as he has allowed three or more earned runs in four of his last five starts. He has time to turn things around, but it may be tough for him to keep up with Cole and McClanahan statistically given his duties as a position player when he is not on the hill.

At this point, McClanahan is our pick to win the AL Cy Young award, as he is showing no signs of slowing down as the spring wears on. With the Rays continuing to stack up wins at the rate they have, it looks likely that they will have one of the best records in the American League. McClanahan should be rewarded for that with this award.

NL Cy Young Odds Analysis & Predictions

The National League Cy Young award odds have completely shifted from where they were at the start of the 2023 MLB season. Last year’s unanimous Cy Young award winner, Sandy Alcantara, has had a rough start to this season and has fallen down the list of favorites as he deals with injury concerns and poor pitching performances. Meanwhile, Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves has jumped to the top of the odds list in what is becoming a two-horse race in the National League.

Strider is 4-1 so far this season, posting a 2.96 ERA on the season, and striking out a league-best 86 batters. Strider has been rock solid so far this season, which has put him ahead of so many other pitchers in the National League by default. With injuries, sticky stuff suspensions, and poor performances befalling many of the pre-season favorites for the NL Cy Young, Strider could win this award by simply outlasting the competition.

Behind Strider is Zac Gallen, who is tied for second in the majors with six victories on the year so far. However, Gallen was rocked in his last outing, as he allowed eight runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gallen’s numbers are still strong at 6-2, but that one poor outing could deal a significant blow to his hopes of coming away with this award as the season wears on.

Interestingly enough, the rest of the National League is seriously lacking in Cy Young contenders. The early season front runners like Alcantara and Julio Urias have had their share of struggles early in the season, and some players who got off to strong starts like Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo have cooled off considerably. For now, one of the aforementioned two favorites may be the best way to go in this futures market.

At this point in time, Spencer Strider seems like the best option to win the NL Cy Young award. His strikeout numbers are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, and playing on a team like the Braves will allow him to rack up more wins than a pitcher in Gallen who has to really carry the Diamondbacks. At a plus price, grabbing Strider now looks like it will pay dividends in the long run.

How To Read MLB Cy Young Odds

To read MLB Cy Young odds is easy to get used to, even for new sports bettors. The first thing to remember is that Cy Young odds are broken up by league, meaning there are AL Cy Young odds and NL Cy Young odds kept separate from one another.

In terms of understanding what the numbers next to each pitcher’s name mean, the first thing a bettor should look for is whether those numbers start with a plus sign or a minus sign. With plus prices, the numbers next to the plus sign represent the amount a bettor will win if they wager $100 on that pitcher and they claim the Cy Young for their league. Conversely, odds that begin with a minus sign signify the amount a bettor needs to risk in order to win $100.

For example, odds of +1000 indicate that a $100 wager on that pitcher would yield a $1,000 payout if that pitcher won this award. Or, if a pitcher has odds of -200, they would need to wager $200 in order to win a profit of $100 if that pitcher got the job done. For an easy way to calculate potential payouts, bettors can use our odds calculator.

It is worth noting that MLB Cy Young odds change constantly throughout the season based on how each pitcher is performing. Bettors should keep an eye on these odds regularly to look for the best prices they can find on each option.

Previous MLB Cy Young Winners

Previous AL Cy Young Winners

Year

Player

Team

2022

Justin Verlander

Houston Astros

2021

Robbie Ray

Toronto Blue Jays

2020

Shane Bieber

Cleveland Indians

2019

Justin Verlander

Houston Astros

2018

Blake Snell

Tampa Bay Rays

2017

Corey Kluber

Cleveland Indians

2016

Rick Porcello

Boston Red Sox

2015

Dallas Keuchel

Houston Astros

2014

Corey Kluber

Cleveland Indians

2013

Max Scherzer

Detroit Tigers

Previous NL Cy Young Winners

Year

Player

Team

2022

Sandy Alcantara

Miami Marlins

2021

Corbin Burnes

Milwaukee Brewers

2020

Trevor Bauer

Cincinnati Reds

2019

Jacob deGrom

New York Mets

2018

Jacob deGrom

New York Mets

2017

Max Scherzer

Washington Nationals

2016

Max Scherzer

Washington Nationals

2015

Jake Arrieta

Chicago Cubs

2014

Clayton Kershaw

Los Angeles Dodgers

2013

Clayton Kershaw

Los Angeles Dodgers

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MLB Cy Young FAQs

Who won the AL Cy Young last year?

The 2022 AL Cy Young award was won by Justin Verlander, who won the award unanimously.

Who won the NL Cy Young last year?

Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins won the 2022 NL Cy Young, and also did so in unanimous fashion.

Who was the opening favorite to win the 2023 AL Cy Young?

The opening favorite to win the 2023 AL Cy Young was Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees.

Who was the opening favorite to win the 2023 NL Cy Young?

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara was the opening favorite to win the award in 2023.

How are the MLB Cy Young winners chosen?

MLB Cy Young award winners are chosen by the Baseball Writers' Association of America balloting at the conclusion of the regular season.

Where can I bet on the MLB Cy Young winners?

Every major online sportsbook, such as DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook, offers Cy Young award betting.

When are the MLB Cy Young winners announced?

The two Cy Young winners in Major League Baseball are announced after the completion of the postseason, even though the voting takes place before the postseason begins.

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AUTHOR

Jay Sanin

13 Articles

Jay Sanin is a sports bettor and writer from New York. He has been handicapping since the moment he was old enough to gamble legally, with his specialties being niche sports like the WNBA and XFL. He’s been told he has a voice for radio. He also has a face for radio.

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