Opening day has come and gone, and the best American League flamethrowers (and their finesse counterparts) are off to the races for the coveted Cy Young award. Six months is a long season for candidates to build up their pitching resume, so we’ll dive into the AL Cy Young odds to uncover the most popular betting options. The answers may surprise you, as we are digging into longshot territory past the Gerrit Cole’s and Shohei Ohtani’s of the world.
With that, let’s jump into the 2022 AL Cy Young odds and betting breakdown.
AL Cy Young Odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
| Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees | +450 |
| Shane Bieber | Cleveland Guardians | +700 |
| Dylan Cease | Chicago White Sox | +900 |
| Robbie Ray | Seattle Mariners | +1000 |
| Lucas Giolito | Chicago White Sox | +1100 |
| Justin Verlander | Houston Astros | +1300 |
| Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels | +2000 |
| Alek Manoah | Toronto Blue Jays | +2000 |
| Shane McClanahan | Tampa Bay Rays | +2000 |
| Jose Berrios | Toronto Blue Jays | +2000 |
AL Cy Young odds and betting data via BetMGM as of April 18, 2022
Dylan Cease: Chicago White Sox (+900)
Cease checks in at +900 on the AL Cy Young odds board. Bettors seem intrigued with those odds, which is enough to deem the White Sox righty the most popular bet on BetMGM early in the season. Even though Cease isn’t towards the top of the AL Cy Young candidate list, the hard-throwing right-hander has shown promise in his first few starts of 2022.
For that reason, Cease has collected 14.3% of tickets so far at BetMGM for this year’s AL Cy Young. In addition to that, he has also brought in the second most handle at 12.2% behind only Alek Manoah (more on him in a bit).
Cease is coming off an extremely strong 2021 season where he ranked seventh among all pitchers in strikeouts — third in the American League. He also had no problem fanning the best hitters in baseball with his elite 12.28 strikeouts per nine inning rate that ranked first overall in the MLB.
Because of this and other impressive metrics, bettors are jumping all over Cease to win the AL Cy Young award. In fact, BetMGM had to adjust the AL Cy Young odds board because so many people were putting their money on Cease. That White Sox righty opened at +1600 to win the award, and his odds moved down to +900 at the time of publication.
Alek Manoah: Toronto Blue Jays (+2000)
Although BetMGM list Manoah as fifth overall in betting tickets placed, he stands atop the total handle at 14.3% of the pot. Translation: bettors are wagering serious amounts on Manoah.
Big money stands behind the big righty on the AL Cy Young odds board, and people seem to agree that he has just as good a chance as anyone to take home the award.
A whopping 14.3% of BetMGM’s handle has been placed on Manoah so far. That number is more than 2021 Cy Young winner Shohei Ohtani of the Angels, and even this year’s favorite, Gerrit Cole of the Yankees.
Last year in his rookie season, Manoah flew under the radar on a star-studded Blue Jays team. With a 9-2 record in 2021, his 3.22 ERA raised eyebrows around the league while capturing the imagination of what Manoah (who was a first-round draft pick in 2019) could do in the coming years. He’s already living up to those expectations with a 2-0 record and 1.50 ERA in two 2022 appearances.
Bettors love the ability to turn a little money into a lot, and a fair share of gambling enthusiasts are pinning their monetary hopes on Manoah. A simple $100 bet would turn into a nice $2,000 payday if Manoah walks away with the AL Cy Young.
Noah Syndergaard: Los Angeles Angels (+5000)
Syndergaard is an interesting case on the AL Cy Young odds board. He’s a true longshot who isn’t in the top ten list for AL Cy Young odds. However, bettors are still flocking to the former Met while hoping he can rekindle his former ways to make a push for the award.
Syndergaard’s AL Cy Young odds stand at +5000. BetMGM reports him as seventh in total tickets at 5.7% and fourth in the total handle at 9.9%. Put it all together, and “Thor” checks in as BetMGM’s biggest liability of contenders for baseball’s most prestigious pitching award.
Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery in 2021 after only appearing in two games. It is safe to say the Angels are banking on Thor’s previous success with the Mets while aiming for a potential playoff push this year. In his last full season with the Mets, Syndergaard went 10-8 and recorded a 4.28 ERA, which is lackluster compared to his 13-4 record with a 3.03 ERA the year before. It will take an effort comparable to those 2018 numbers for Syndergaard to be in the running for the AL Cy Young.
A strong contingent of bettors believe there’s a chance that happens, and they are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
