MLB Cy Young Betting Odds
Arizona has seen its share of Cy Young-quality pitching, with both Randy Johnson and Brandon Webb winning the award at least once in the relatively short history of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In addition to being one of the most prestigious awards in baseball, the Cy Young Award is also a large market for futures bets. If you want to bet on the next Cy Young Award winner in Arizona, below you’ll find the latest Cy Young odds as posted at legal Arizona online sportsbooks plus some tips and tricks of the Cy Young betting trade.
NL & AL Cy Young odds
See below for the latest NL Cy Young odds at Arizona online sportsbook. Click on any odds to go right to the sportsbook, register your account and claim your bonus. Use the drop-down menu to change your odds board and see AL Cy Young odds.
How betting on Cy Young futures works
A bet on the Cy Young Award further breaks down into two distinct sections. The first is the player you choose to win the award. Picking someone who has a good probability of winning the award is important, but novice gamblers may not realize that the odds of a selection are arguably more important.
You will see odds for this wager well ahead of opening day. They may even be available shortly after the previous year’s World Series has concluded. While it’s difficult to be exact when attempting to predict something so far into the future, as time goes on and we gain more information, the odds will shift to reflect new developments.
One of the reasons bettors like wagering on futures is because of the high odds that are common with such bets. Predicting something so far in the future is difficult, so getting it right can be rewarding.
Cy Young futures will default to the American odds format at Arizona sportsbooks. While you can always change the format, understanding how to read odds in the American format is a good gambling skill to have.
To start with, a positive number signifies an underdog or something with an implied probability of less than 50% to happen. This number will be at least three digits and it shows how much you could win from a $100 bet. For example, if you had bet on Randy Johnson to win the Cy Young at odds of +400 at BetMGM Arizona, a $100 bet would have produced $400 in winnings, returning a total of $500. This is the same odds format you’ll see when looking at Diamondbacks odds.
Favorites and outcomes with an implied probability of more than 50% will use a negative odds number. This number will also be at least three digits, and it represents how much money you would need to wager to win $100. For example, if you had a bet via the FanDuel Arizona app on Brandon Webb to win the Cy Young Award at odds of -150, you would need to bet $150 to win $100, returning a total of $250.
These odds will shift throughout the season to limit the sportsbook’s liability against any one specific outcome. For example, on the DraftKings app, if one selection is receiving the bulk of the wagers, the sportsbook will weaken the odds, making it less appealing. Odds will also change to reflect new happenings in the league. For example, a pitcher doing very well in the early part of the season may see his odds shorten as he now has a stronger potential to win the award.
One danger when placing a futures bet on something like who will win the Cy Young is if the player you picked gets injured and misses most or all of the season. Pitchers place a lot of strain on their arms, making this a real possibility. Before placing your bet, you should check to see if your sportsbook has any special policies in place for this type of situation.
Another example would be what happened with Major League Baseball and the 2020 season. The season was truncated, and there was no clear plan to return to play at the beginning. Different online sportsbooks handled this situation in different ways, with some suspending bets and others voiding them completely.
Data to consider for Cy Young bets
When betting on Cy Young futures, consider what’s happened before. The first thing to look at is what type of pitchers win the Cy Young Award. The overwhelming majority of winners have been starters, with the occasional reliever claiming the award. So picking a starter is usually the smartest idea, though a historic season from a reliever at the right time could result in a huge payout. In the history of the award, nine non-starters have won it.
The two most important considerations when discussing a pitcher’s candidacy for the Cy Young Award are stats and narrative. Narrative can be an underrated factor in a player’s chances at winning, but the fact is that a good story can influence the voters. If a pitcher has had a long career and not won a Cy Young or has had a few close finishes in a row, people may see that pitcher as “due” to get the award.
Besides the narrative, stats are the biggest thing to look at. A player needs to put up excellent numbers to receive consideration for the award. Anything that shows a pitcher having a large impact can help. Of course, the basic pitching stats that have been seemingly forever remain important. These include a pitcher’s win/loss record, ERA, innings pitched, and strikeouts.
Also be aware, though, that the advancement of analytics in baseball has changed how much weight some traditional numbers receive when deciding who wins the Cy Young Award. For a long time, pitchers needed to have an exceptional win/loss record, but that has become less true in recent years. Analytics have helped separate a player’s performance from that of his team. Thus, stats such as wins have become less associated with the skill of an individual.
Felix Hernandez winning the AL Cy Young in 2010 with a record of just 13-12 was a monumental moment for those who tended to discount a pitcher’s wins and losses. As we move toward the future, we may see more and more trends backed by analytics to start showing themselves in Cy Young voting.
One thing that does not seem to matter that much is handedness. Left-handers make up roughly a third of all pitchers, and they win a similar share of Cy Young Awards. Thus, there’s no point in selecting a player just because of the hand he throws with. Similarly, there are no jarring differences in how the two leagues value pitchers. Of course, the National League has no designated hitter, but hitting stats have not influenced the race in that half of the MLB. Instead, it’s only pitching stats that matter. That could change if we see more players play both sides of the ball or a very tight race that needed a deciding factor.
Deciding when to bet is another key factor. The earlier you place your bet, the longer the Cy Young betting odds are likely to be. There is a reason for that, though. There is limited information available to you at this point, meaning the difficulty level is also very high.
Recent Cy Young award winners
| Year | AL Winner | NL Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Shane Bieber | Trevor Bauer |
| 2019 | Justin Verlander | Jacob deGrom |
| 2018 | Blake Snell | Jacob deGrom |
| 2017 | Cory Kluber | Max Scherzer |
| 2016 | Rick Porcello | Max Scherzer |
| 2015 | Dallas Keuchel | Jake Arrieta |
| 2014 | Cory Kluber | Clayton Kershaw |
| 2013 | Max Scherzer | Clayton Kershaw |
| 2012 | David Price | R.A. Dickey |
| 2011 | Justin Verlander | Clayton Kershaw |
Other MLB futures bets
While betting on the Cy Young Award is a popular wager, there are other MLB futures bets that people enjoy.
Most futures bets fit one of two categories. The first is betting on team outcomes. These are futures bets on things such as the odds on the winner of the World Series, division winners or the always popular season win totals. These futures have to do with how a specific team performs during that season.
Other futures bets work on a more individual level. These usually involve different awards, like the Cy Young, or a player’s statistical performance. In addition to the Cy Young, the other popular award for futures betting in baseball is the MVP award for both leagues.
Here are the most common MLB futures you’re likely to see:
- Cy Young Award winner
- MLB MVP winner
- World Series champion
- Division winners
- To make playoffs
- Season win totals
Cy Young betting FAQ
Betting on the Cy Young Award can be confusing for novices. Here are some common questions:
Who votes for or determines the AL/NL Cy Young?
Members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America determine the winners. For each league, two writers from each city with a team in that league vote on the award winner. That’s a total of 30 voters for each league. The duty rotates among writers from year to year. Voters will rank five choices from one to five, and players receive points for each vote they get, with the most points for first-place votes, and then fewer points on down.
If two players tie for the same number of points, they will share the award. Because of the large number of voters, this is a rare occurrence. The norm is to have just one winner for each league.
Who has the most Cy Young awards?
The player to have won the most Cy Young awards is Roger Clemens. Clemens won the award seven times, two more than Randy Johnson in second place with five. Clemens won his first Cy Young award in 1986 and his last in 2004. The gap between awards is noteworthy, and Clemens is the oldest pitcher to win the award. Also of note, however, is that Clemens has faced allegations of having used performance-enhancing drugs.
What team has had the most Cy Young winners in its history?
The team with the most Cy Young awards is the Los Angeles Dodgers. This includes their days in Brooklyn before the team moved to LA. All told, a Dodger has won the award 12 times, with Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax winning multiple times.
Who is the youngest pitcher to win the Cy Young award?
The youngest pitcher to ever win the Cy Young Award is Dwight Gooden. Gooden won the award in 1985 when he was just 20 years old.
Who was the last Arizona Diamondback to win the Cy Young?
The last player from the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the Cy Young Award is Brandon Webb. Webb won the award in 2006 when he went 16-8, had a 3.10 ERA, and notched 178 strikeouts. He is one of only two Diamondbacks to win the award. The other is Randy Johnson, who won four straight Cy Youngs from 1999 to 2002.