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

NL Cy Young Odds

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

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.

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

Previous NL Cy Young Winners