Last Updated Aug 30, 2021, 13:54 PM
2020 National League Cy Young Award Odds
Jacob deGrom is Favored to Win His Third Straight NL Cy Young Award
Although Jacob deGrom has a record of 21-17 over the last two seasons, he has claimed the last two National League Cy Young Awards. The New York Mets’ ace was almost a unanimous winner last season, being named the top pitcher in the NL on 29 of 30 ballots, but one vote for Hyun-jin Ryu prevented him from being the first unanimous winner since Clayton Kershaw in 2014. It was the second straight year he was deprived of a unanimous win after receiving 29 votes (Max Scherzer received the other vote) in 2018.
His pitching has the Mets optimistic that they can return to the postseason for the first time since 2016 this season. However, the Mets share a division with the 2019 World Series champion Washington Nationals, and they have an ace of their own in Scherzer.
2020 National League Cy Young Betting Online Odds at FanDuel
Jacob deGrom +280
Max Scherzer +400
Walker Buehler +800
Jack Flaherty +1000
Stephen Strasburg +1300
Luis Castillo +1800
Trevor Bauer +1800
Aaron Nola +2000
Clayton Kershaw +2200
Noah Syndergaard +2200
Yu Darvish +2200
Patrick Corbin +2500
Chris Paddack +3500
Sonny Gray +3500
Max Fried +4000
Michael Soroka +4000
All Others at +5000 or More
2020 NL Cy Young Odds Overview
Repeat winners are not uncommon in the NL with Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw, Scherzer, and deGrom all winning the Cy Young in back-to-back seasons over the last 12 years. We haven’t seen a pitcher win three straight Cy Young Awards since Randy Johnson was named the best pitcher in the NL four straight times from 1999 to 2002 though.
This will largely be portrayed as a race between deGrom and Scherzer, but both pitchers are on the wrong side of 30. Scherzer will turn 36 and deGrom will turn 32 this summer, so durability is a major concern when handicapping this award.
The Favorites
Since his debut in 2014, deGrom has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. He has registered a 10.3 K/9 over his six seasons with the Mets, and he does not give up home runs. He has allowed just 29 long balls over the last two seasons, and he gave up just 0.4 dingers every nine innings in 2018. deGrom has recorded at least 200 strikeouts and thrown 200 innings in each of the last three seasons, but it’s difficult to bet on him to threepeat at this price.
Max Scherzer is the strikeout king. Scherzer has recorded at least 230 K’s in each of the last eight seasons, and he has been remarkably consistent over that stretch. He has thrown at least 200 innings in six of the last seven seasons, and he has shown no signs of slowing down although he is getting older. Scherzer has led the NL in WHIP in three of the last four seasons, and his K/9 rate has been tops in the league for four of the last five years. That reliability makes him worthy of a small wager at FanDuel.
Next Up
Walker Buehler emerged as the next great pitcher for the Dodgers in 2019. Buehler showed that he can handle a hefty workload, throwing two complete games, and he accumulated a 10.6 K/9. He has the benefit of playing on the best team in the NL, which will give him added exposure and a great win-loss record in all likelihood.
The only other pitcher with Cy Young odds of 10-1 or less is Jack Flaherty. The Cardinals’ young star improved his control substantially in 2019, allowing fewer walks although he threw 45 more innings than he did in 2018. He led the NL in WHIP with a mark of 0.968, and he plays in a relatively weak division with only a couple great hitters.
The Longshots
If you’re feeling lucky and want to bet on a longshot, take a look at Sonny Gray. Gray was one of the top pitchers in the NL in his first season in the league, and Cincinnati has a knack for getting the most out of older arms. He is a little more of a longshot after undergoing offseason surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, but his arm has looked great in spring training.
