Gerrit Cole is a pitcher who signed a huge contract and has proven to be worth every dollar. Last season for the New York Yankees he was 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA. On top of that, he had a 4.63 ratio of strikeouts to walks. He was the recipient of the Cy Young Award in the American League.
He was rightfully the favorite to capture the Cy Young this year too. But then something unexpected happened.
Between outings, Cole discovered that his elbow was not recovering the way it should. Upon examination, it was determined that he was suffering from nerve inflammation in the elbow. That, along with edema, was causing swelling.
This was a fortunate diagnosis. It was feared that Cole might need Tommy John surgery, which would have taken him out for the rest of the season. Instead, he’ll only be out for a while. Not long enough to spoil the entire season for him and his team. But long enough that he is virtually out of contention for the Cy Young.
No one knows when Cole will be ready. The team has told him to stop throwing. And when he can, he’s going to have to endure the equivalent of another spring training.
So a door has opened up for a new favorite for the Cy Young. And unfortunately for the Yankees, they don’t have one of the favorites on their roster.
But we have some presentable candidates.
Here are the numbers…..
BetOnline has posted odds on who the American League Cy Young winner is going to be. There are too many for us to post all of them, but here are the top people on the list:
2024 MLB American League Cy Young Odds by BetOnline
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Corbin Burnes | +400 |
| Kevin Gausman | +750 |
| Luis Castillo | +750 |
| Framber Valdez | +950 |
| Pablo Lopez | +1000 |
| Tarik Skubal | +1000 |
| George Kirby | +1100 |
| Cole Ragans | +1200 |
| Grayson Rodriguez | +1400 |
| Logan Gilbert | +1800 |
| Shane Bieber | +2800 |
| Joe Ryan | +3000 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | +3300 |
| Zach Eflin | +3300 |
| Justin Verlander | +4000 |
And now…… here’s the favorite!
The Milwaukee Brewers won the NL Central last season. But they executed a trade that surprised some people when they dealt Corbin Burnes (+400). After all, he has won this award before – the National League version – in 2021. In that year he registered his first 40 strikeouts without issuing a single base on balls. And he went on to win the ERA title. Going through an arbitration process before the 2023 season made him think about free agency more and more.
And he would have gone that route after this year. But the Brewers, knowing they had better get something for him, traded him to Baltimore. They got the most they could out of it, as they were going through a bit of a reboot. The Orioles have a strong enough starting rotation to have won 101 games last year. Burnes now assumes the top spot in that rotation. And he has a great bullpen to protect leads.
A darkhorse candidate out of Detroit
Some of you might think the Detroit Tigers are ready to make a run of it in the AL Central.. Well, we present Tarik Skubal, at +1000. He is a southpaw and presumptive ace of the Tigers’ staff. Skubal was not a big bonus draftee; in fact, he went in the ninth round. But he has responded when called upon.
His career has been short-circuited a little with flexor tendon surgery (in his foot). But when he came back in the 2023 season, he was gold. Skubal was 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP ratio in 15 starts. That’s assertive, if not dominant. If he continues his progress and remains healthy, he’s in the mix.
Also for your consideration
Some respect has to be given to #1 starters on contending teams. Nathan Eovaldi (12-6, 3.83 ERA last year) is the top guy for the Texas Rangers. Well, at least until Max Scherzer and Jacob decorum are ready to pitch again. But he may not be willing to give up that spot so easily.
And either Luis Castillo (+750) or George Kirby (+1100) could be value choices. They perform on a Seattle starting staff that is one of the best in the majors.
Looking for a baseball future? Some creative props? Not just before the season, but during the season and before every game? Come to BetOnline, where you can find the most comprehensive list available anywhere……… And if you thought it was a headache to open an account, it isn’t! Just use your credit card or any of the sixteen cryptocurrency options, and come aboard right away!
