Opening 2019 AL Cy Young Odds: Kluber Listed as Slight Favorite Over Sale

• Blake Snell won the 2018 AL Cy Young Award
• Corey Kluber is listed as the favorite and won the award in 2014 and 2017
• Chris Sale is looking to win his first Cy Young Award

The American League Cy Young race should be another highly contested battle this year. Last year Tampa Bay Rays starter Blake Snell took home the award but he sits behind five other pitchers in the 2019 Cy Young odds. 

2019 AL Cy Young Odds

*Odds taken 03/05/19

Four teams are heavily represented in the odds with the Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, and Indians all having multiple options on the board. Where is the best value? Let’s take a look at the three best bets available.

Chris Sale Aiming For 1st Cy Young

For as good as Chris Sale has been, it’s pretty amazing he’s never won the award. Corey Kluber is the only pitcher ahead of him on this list and he won the award in 2014 and 2017. Wins won’t be hard to come by for Sale pitching for the defending World Series champions, and his numbers last year suggest he could be a mega star once again in 2019.

In only 158 innings, Sale tallied 237 strikeouts to go along with a 2.11 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. Those numbers were the best full season stats in his career. Assuming he can stay healthy, there’s little to suggest he can’t repeat them.

Chris Sale explains what's going to keep him pitching this year and beyond. https://t.co/xzOuuTdIc7 pic.twitter.com/rjlHuaFJYC

— NESN (@NESN) March 5, 2019

Sale is the clear ace of this staff and for my money is the clear ace in the American League. Betting him at +400 before that line moves is a wise decision.

Can Blake Snell Win Back-to-Back Awards?

Futures bets are all about finding value. Snell arrived on the scene last year in a big way, capturing the award with a 21-5 record, 1.89 ERA, and 0.97 WHIP. Those numbers are absurd and he should definitely be considered a top contender to win the award again. Despite the evidence listed, he sits behind Kluber, Sale, Severino, Verlander, and Carrasco on the odds list. If you can figure out why that might be I’d love to hear it.

One Cy Young Award later, Blake Snell has a lot to say. https://t.co/J5HtZlpgI2

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) February 25, 2019

Winning the Cy Young takes sustained greatness and isn’t a fluke. You need to have the skills to keep those consistent numbers up over an entire season. Snell can and likely will post monster numbers again this year. Instead of getting a price tag of +350 or +400 like the other favorites, you can bet on him to repeat at +1500. Seems like a no-brainer doesn’t it?

Trevor Bauer Provides Great Value

Trevor Bauer is way down the list and comes in as a +2000 long shot.  Should he be? No.

Every pitcher needs to be mic’d up for now on @Starting9 @BauerOutage pic.twitter.com/krtzJw4kFK

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 27, 2019

Bauer finished sixth in 2018 American League Cy Young voting despite only having 27 starts due to injury. He finished the year with a 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 221 strikeouts. The other reason to love Bauer? He bets on himself.  Bauer only believes in signing one-year deals, largely because he knows how great he is. When you have a pitcher with superstar numbers who is constantly in a contract year, what’s not to like?

The other reason to love Bauer? He bets on himself.  Bauer only believes in signing one-year deals, largely because he knows how great he is.

If you’re looking for the best bet, that includes finding the best value. Pitchers like Kluber and Sale are absolutely the most likely to impress, but the wise money is taking a longer shot like Snell or Bauer.