NL Cy Young odds: deGrom favored, Burnes close behind after stellar 2021
While the MLB season is still in peril after the league canceled two more series, there was a sense of optimism this week that a deal could end the lockout at any moment, potentially signaling the start of the campaign in just a few weeks. And with it could come one of the better Cy Young races in recent memory.
After entering last season as the NL Cy Young favorite, Jacob deGrom (+450) is once again the frontrunner at Barstool Sportsbook despite lingering concerns about his health. DeGrom's followed by reigning Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes (+750), who beat out Max Scherzer (+800) and Zack Wheeler (+800) in one of the closest races in MLB history a year ago.
| PLAYER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Jacob deGrom | +450 |
| Corbin Burnes | +750 |
| Max Scherzer | +800 |
| Zack Wheeler | +800 |
| Walker Buehler | +850 |
| Brandon Woodruff | +850 |
| Aaron Nola | +1000 |
| Max Fried | +1300 |
| Jack Flaherty | +1600 |
| Logan Webb | +1600 |
| Charlie Morton | +1800 |
| Blake Snell | +1800 |
| Joe Musgrove | +2000 |
| Luis Castillo | +2500 |
| Yu Darvish | +2500 |
| Sandy Alcantara | +2500 |
| Pablo Lopez | +3300 |
| Julio Urias | +3300 |
| Patrick Corbin | +4000 |
| Sonny Gray | +4000 |
| Clayton Kershaw | +4000 |
| Marcus Stroman | +4000 |
| Ian Anderson | +4000 |
| Anthony DeSclafani | +5000 |
| Adrian Houser | +5000 |
| German Marquez | +5000 |
| Adam Wainwright | +5000 |
| Wade Miley | +5000 |
| Trevor Rogers | +5000 |
| Madison Bumgarner | +8000 |
| Johnny Cueto | +8000 |
| Steven Matz | +8000 |
| Miles Mikolas | +8000 |
| Stephen Strasburg | +8000 |
| Andrew Heaney | +8000 |
If deGrom can stay healthy, he'll be tough to beat. The Mets pitcher claimed this award in 2018 and 2019 before putting up career-best numbers in 2021 - his 1.08 ERA and 1.24 FIP were among the best in league history, while his 14.3 strikeouts per nine would have set an MLB record.
DeGrom only managed to make 15 starts, though, which essentially disqualified him from consideration (he did receive one fifth-place vote). He'll likely need double that mark to contend for this year's award - Burnes posted historic rate stats in 2021 and nearly missed out because he made only 28 starts.
Speaking of which, the Brewers pitcher finally capitalized on his immense potential with a standout campaign a year ago, leading all qualified starters in ERA (2.43), FIP (1.63), home runs per nine (0.4), and strikeouts per nine (12.6). It wasn't a fluke, either: Burnes finished sixth in Cy Young voting in 2020, and he has some of the best stuff in baseball at just 27 years old.
Just behind Burnes are Wheeler and Scherzer, who finished second and third, respectively, in the tightest NL Cy Young vote since the ballot expanded to five pitchers in 2010. Wheeler led the NL in innings pitched (213 1/3) and strikeouts (247) in his second season with the Phillies, while Scherzer boasted an MLB-best WHIP (0.864) and walk rate (1.8 per nine) for his fifth top-three finish in the last six years.
There are a few compelling names further down the board, too. Joe Musgrove (+2000) looked like a potential Cy Young frontrunner early in the year after recording the Padres' first-ever no-hitter in early April, but he tailed off late in the campaign. Conversely, Luis Castillo (+2500) was the league's worst starter for much of the year before spinning a 2.69 ERA and .686 OPS allowed over his final 20 starts for the Reds.
C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.