In a span of nine seasons from 2011 to 2019 there were five winners of the National League Cy Young Award. The mound was dominated by a few arms with Clayton Kershaw winning the honor three times in four years and Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer going back-to-back in that span. Those three are all on the board to win another NL Cy Young Award in 2021 with deGrom the betting favorite on the futures market. Trevor Bauer joined the fraternity last year and also joined what most believe is the strongest team in baseball when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Having a potent lineup behind him only increases the chances of Bauer making another run at the award. Let’s take a look at a few of the favorites and other hurlers who have value in the Cy Young futures market. Visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of odds and to make your wager.
2021 NL Cy Young Award Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jacob deGrom +300
Trevor Bauer +650
Max Scherzer +978
Yu Darvish +1005
Jack Flaherty +1400
Blake Snell +1521
Luis Castillo +1521
Walker Buehler +1521
Aaron Nola +2041
Clayton Kershaw +2070
Stephen Strasburg +2201
Max Fried +2556
Sixto Sanchez +2556
Brandon Woodruff +2556
Charlie Morton +2556
Dinelson Lamet +3082
German Marquez +3610
Michael Soroka +3610
Patrick Corbin +3610
Sonny Gray +3927
Zack Wheeler +3927
Noah Syndergaard +4440
Carlos Carrasco +4500
Corbin Burnes +4500
Zac Gallen +4500
2021 NL Cy Young Favorites
Does playing on a new team have any affect on a pitcher? I would say no since their job is fairly straightforward and it doesn’t matter where it’s taking place. But there is an interesting situation among several of the favorites. Three of the tops six on the odds board will be toiling for a new club in 2021. Bauer was lured by the Dodgers while AL West rival San Diego pilfered Yu Darvish and Blake Snell in separate trades. Having a combination of those guys going head-to-head in a number of games over the course of the season could impact the chances of winning the award.
deGrom was hindered by a lack of wins last season or he could’ve had a three-peat. He’s been the most dominant pitcher the last three years sporting a 2.10 ERA since the start of 2018. He was recognized in 2018 and 2019 and finished third in voting last season after going 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 12 starts. He was one of three pitchers to post at least 100 strikeouts in the abbreviated campaign; the others being Bauer and AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber. deGrom is in a better situation this season with a stronger club around him, which should help his win total. It also looks like the bullpen issues have been addressed.
At third on the current odds list, Max Scherzer still gets some respect. We did see a decline last season and now at 37 his best days are behind him. Mad Max is still a serviceable starter but unlikely to accomplish anything worthy of another Cy Young. The same holds true for Kershaw, who was the dominant arm a few years ago.
Darvish had a good argument for winning the award last year leading the National League with eight wins. He also posted 10 quality starts and a 2.01 ERA with 93 punchouts in 76.0 innings. Nobody remembers who finished second in the voting, but I bet Darvish does. And much like Bauer, Darvish is headed to team that has high hopes for 2021 with one of the most potent lineups in baseball.
2021 NL Cy Young Longshots
There are a bunch of lively arms at the next tier with guys like Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, Blake Snell and Aaron Nola to name a few. The problem with Buehler is that he’s surrounded by Bauer and Kershaw and those guys could steal votes from each other. Snell won the 2018 AL Cy Young with a 21-5 record, but he tossed the fewest innings of any starter to win since 1994. He’s not going to get that number substantially higher.
Keep an eye on Jack Flaherty, who looks to bounce back from season filled with postponements and missed opportunities. The entire St. Louis team had to deal with a virus outbreak early in the shortened 2020 season and a fine outing on opening day from Flaherty was lost in the carnage. There’s no reason to think he can’t return to the 2019 version that saw him post a 2.75 ERA with 231 strikeouts and a league-leading 0.968 WHIP.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
