With pitchers and catcher set to report next week for Spring Training, it is a great time to look at who has the best chance of winning the 2021 AL Cy Young award. Shane Bieber won the award last season after posting a record of 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA. Bieber will be trying to win the award for the second-straight year, which has only been done in the American League by Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens.
Bieber will have some competition from Gerrit Cole, Lucas Giolito, and Tyler Glasnow. We will take a look at a favorite, sleeper, and long shot for the 2021 AL Cy Young award. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Favorite
Gerrit Cole
AL Cy Young odds: +350
Cole has the best odds to win the AL Cy Young award for this season. The 30-year-old ace had a good first season with the New York Yankees in 2020. He had a record of 7-3, 2.84 ERA, and 94 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched. Cole also notched two complete games, including a shutout and 11.6 K/9 in 12 appearances on the mound.
For his efforts, Cole finished fourth in the AL Cy Young award voting. The flame-throwing starting pitcher has now finished within the top-5 three-straight years. This could be the year he finally breaks through, especially with the Yankees’ starting staff not looking so great on paper. If the Yanks want to win the AL East and make a postseason run to a World Series, it will fall on the arm of Cole.
Sleeper
Dallas Keuchel
AL Cy Young odds: +2200
If the Chicago White Sox have aspirations of winning the AL pennant and making the World Series this season, it will fall on their starting rotation. Last season, Keuchel had a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 1.77 in 11 appearances on the mound. Despite not having many strikeouts, the 33-year-old finished fifth in the AL Cy Young award voting.
Unlike Cole, Keuchel does have a Cy Young award under on his resume. In 2015, the veteran starter produced a record of 20-8, 2.48 ERA, and had a career-high 216 strikeouts in 232 innings pitched. His teammate Lucas Giolito has better odds to capture the award at +450, but don’t forget about the vet on the staff.
Longshot
Shohei Ohtani
AL Cy Young odds: +4000
Ohtani is still trying to pull off pitching and being a designated hitter in the majors. The 2018 AL Rookie of Year had a solid 2019 with a record of 4-2, 3.31 ERA, and 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched. But last season, Ohtani only made two starts before being shutdown as a pitcher with an arm injury.
However, Ohtani was still used as a designated hitter, where he slashed .190/.291/.366 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. The Los Angeles Angels plan to use the versatile pitcher once again as a hitter and on the mound this season. For him to even make noise in the race, Ohtani is going to have to stay healthy and on the mound most of the season.
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