2022 MLB Cy Young Odds: McClanahan Making Headway in Tight AL Race

The baseball season is in full swing as we approach June and we've got a look at some updated odds for the MLB Cy Young races in addition to our MLB MVP odds and Rookie of the Year odds.

The American League remains packed atop the board with a salty veteran leading the way. Though Shane McClanahan has rejoined the ranks after some outstanding recent starts. Meanwhile, reigning NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes is favored on the Senior Circuit, though the gap isn't wide.

Here's a look at the latest odds to win the respective Cy Young awards in the 2022 MLB season.

Odds to win AL Cy Young award

Odds courtesy of SuperBook Sports as of May 25, 2022.

AL Cy Young favorites

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros (+250)

Verlander has been either the solo betting favorite or part of a group for several weeks now, and it's easy to see why. He's sporting an absurd 1.22 ERA over 51 2-3 innings in his return from Tommy John surgery and has pitched through six innings in six of his eight starts. The only potential cause for concern is a diminished strikeout rate. But even there, it's not like he's lost velocity on his fastball. Verlander is averaging right around 95 mph, which is mostly in line with career norms. He's not issuing walks, either, posting a 1.57 BB/9 thanks to just nine free passes. Basically, Verlander is pounding the zone and daring opponents to hit the ball. And so far, it's working. He hasn't allowed an earned run in any of his last three starts.

Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays (+500)

It took Gausman until his sixth start with the Blue Jays to issue his first walk of the 2022 season. He now has five walks over 56 innings and is the only qualified starter with a BB/9 under 1.00. He's also only allowed one home run. His 2.25 ERA may actually be the product of bad luck, too, as his opponents' BABIP is .344 (fourth highest among starters) and he's posted a 1.30 FIP. 

Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays (+500)

McClanahan has found another gear over his last three starts, allowing one earned run over 20 innings while striking out 27 compared to three walks. The only run allowed in that span came via solo home run off the bat of Jeimer Candelario. The lefty now sports a 2.06 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 74 strikeouts in 52 1-3 innings, and only Dylan Cease owns a better K/9 than McClanahan's 12.73. He's pitching deep into games in decidedly un-Rays fashion, too. 

Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees (+700)

Yes, Cole allowed five earned runs on seven hits in his last start, but he still lasted eight full innings and most of the damage came in a four-run fourth inning. The right-hander's ERA for the day was 5.63 but his FIP was 2.00, so things could have easily gone differently. He also still struck out 11. It's still been an up-and-down season by his standards and he hasn't had the sustained dominance that some of his peers have showcased above him here. Still, his odds haven't gotten longer because everyone and their dog knows what his ceiling can be.

Odds to win NL Cy Young award

Odds courtesy of SuperBook Sports as of May 25, 2022.

NL Cy Young favorites

Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers (+400)

Since his clunky season debut, Burnes has been flat-out masterful for most of his ensuing eight starts. He's gone at least six innings in each of them and has only allowed more than two earned runs once, which was a rocky four-run start against the Braves. Only Sandy Alcantara has thrown more innings than Burnes this season, which puts him on track to exceed his innings output from a year ago when he won the award before. Also, considering Max Scherzer will miss a bunch of time to injury, the path to back-to-back wins looks strong.

Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers (+500)

Buehler is really the victim of one bad start, a five-run outing against the Phillies in mid-May. Otherwise, the young right-hander hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his other eight starts. Still, his strikeouts are down, punching out less than 20% of his opponents for the first time in his career (his average is 26.9%). His odds seem a little short relative to his numbers, which have been good but not great. And we're past the point where a strong win-loss record is enough to put a pitcher over the top. Still, his ceiling is much higher, so we'll have to see where the season takes him. 

Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres (+800)

Musgrove has easily been the Padres' best starter for two years now. And while he threw a no-hitter in 2021 — the first in franchise history — he's followed that up with a more complete stat line this season. Like Buehler, the strikeouts aren't there but he's mitigated walks and home runs very well. A true workhorse, Musgrove has finished six innings in all eight of his starts this season and has posted a 1.90 ERA in the process. 

Pablo Lopez, Miami Marlins (+800)

Lopez has hit the skids in his two most recent starts, allowing seven earned runs — including three long balls — over 10 innings. And that has caused his ERA to balloon to *checks notes* a robust 2.04. What? No, that's right. Prior to those outings, Lopez had allowed a total of five earned runs in 43 innings across seven starts (1.05 ERA). It wouldn't be shocking if his odds expand in the wake of these rockier outings, but he can't be written off yet. Relatedly, Marlins teammate Sandy Alcantara (available at +1,400) has been on a fantastic run. Over his last three starts, Alcantara has thrown 24 innings, which includes a complete-game victory over the Braves.

Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks (+800)

Gallen just got lit up by the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday to the tune of six earned runs on seven hits in 5 1-3 innings, bumping his ERA up to 2.22 on the season. Prior to that, he hadn't allowed more than two runs in any of his seven starts. Let's see if his stumble was a blip or a sign of things to come.

Understanding Cy Young odds

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When Shane Bieber looked to have the AL Cy Young locked up last September, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number. 

• Shane Bieber -300

That means that a bettor in September had to wager $300 to win $100 by betting on Bieber. Before this year's race even began, every candidate had a (+) sign in front of their number.

• Gerrit Cole +325

With Cole's current odds, a bettor stands to profit $325 for every $100 wagered on him. 

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

MLB Cy Young Odds