Shane Bieber Overtakes Gerrit Cole as AL Cy Young Favorite After 4-0 Start to 2020 Season
- Indians right-hander Shane Bieber is the new favorite to win the 2020 AL Cy Young Award
- Yankees righty Gerrit Cole, who had been the top choice since February, is now +215
- See the full board of updated odds to win AL Cy Young within the story below
A record nine-year, $324-million contract resonates with everyone – including the oddsmakers. So does 14 strikeouts per nine innings.
New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole had been the favorite in the 2020 American League Cy Young odds since the beginning of spring training. He is in the first year of that nine-year deal that he signed last December and is the largest ever given to a pitcher in baseball history.
However, Cole has lost his status as the top choice among bettors. That now belongs to Cleveland Indians right-hander Shane Bieber, who has been dominant through the first third of the truncated season.
2020 AL Cy Young Odds
| Players | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Shane Bieber (Indians) | +175 |
| Gerrit Cole (Yankees) | +215 |
| Dylan Bundy (Angels) | +650 |
| Lance Lynn (Rangers) | +700 |
| Frankie Montas (Athletics) | +1300 |
| Blake Snell (Rays) | +2000 |
| Lucas Giolito (White Sox) | +2200 |
| Carlos Carrasco (Indians) | +3300 |
| Tyler Glasnow (Rays) | +3300 |
| Mike Clevinger(Indians) | +4000 |
| Jesus Luzardo (Athletics) | +4000 |
| Lance McCullers Jr. (Astros) | +4000 |
| James Paxton (Yankees) | +4000 |
| Jose Berrios (Twins) | +5000 |
| Zack Greinke (Astros) | +5000 |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu (Blue Jays) | +5000 |
| Charlie Morton (Rays) | +5000 |
| Dallas Keuchel (White Sox) | +7500 |
| Sean Manaea (Athletics) | +7500 |
| Nathan Eovaldi (Red Sox) | +8000 |
| Mike Minor (Rangers) | +8000 |
| Jake Odorizzi (Twins) | +8000 |
| John Means (Orioles) | +8000 |
| Matthew Boyd (Tigers) | +10000 |
| Kyle Gibson (Rangers) | +10000 |
| Corey Kluber (Rangers) | +10000 |
| Masahiro Tanaka (Yankees) | +10000 |
| Justin Verlander (Astros) | +10000 |
| Aroldis Chapman (Yankees) | +15000 |
| Liam Hendriks (Athletics) | +15000 |
| Jose Urquidy (Astros) | +15000 |
Odds taken Aug. 18th.
The Cy Young odds were re-opened on August 17 with Cole still sitting as the +175 favorite, followed by Bieber at +200. But a day’s worth of betting action led to the two favorites switching places.
Believing in Bieber
Bieber had a breakout season last year when he was MVP of the All-Star Game in Cleveland, going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 33 starts. The 25-year-old has been even better this season.
In five starts, Bieber is 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA. He has given up just 19 hits and six walks in 34.2 innings while racking up a whopping 54 strikeouts.
Bieber toyed with the Tigers in his last start on Saturday at Detroit, striking out 11 in seven shutout innings.
Shane Bieber, Home Plate Views.
Hitting is easy. 😑 pic.twitter.com/D304bn5JuQ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 15, 2020
“Talk about being on a roll,” Indians manager Terry Francona said after that game. “He has the ability to throw any pitch at any spot in any count, and I don’t think I’ve seen another pitcher with a curveball and slider that are almost the identical speed with different breaks.”
Cole Proving His Worth
Cole is off to a fine, if not overwhelming start in his first season with the Yankees.
The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA in five outings. He has 34 strikeouts in 29.1 innings while allowing 20 hits and five walks.
Cole also has a chance to make history. He has won his last 20 regular-season starts dating back to the last season, and is just the sixth major league pitcher to have a streak that long.
The record is 24 by Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell in 1936-37 with the New York Giants.
Gerrit Cole tonight. 7 innings 1 run 0 BB 8 K. He’s 4-0 this year and has is 20-0 in last 20 decisions. pic.twitter.com/uaSCmtLW5e
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) August 15, 2020
Furthermore, Cole’s 27-start unbeaten streak in the fourth-longest in history. Roger Clemens had 30 in a row in 1998-99 with the Toronto Blue Jays and Yankees.
Bundy & Lynn Now Factors
While Cole and Bieber are the two top picks, two other pitchers have improved their odds greatly.
Dylan Bundy has one of the few bright spots for the struggling Los Angeles Angels as he has a 3-1 record and 1.57 ERA in four starts after being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in an offseason trade.
The right-hander also has been adept at keeping runners off the bases. He has allowed just 15 hits and three walks in 28.2 innings while striking out 35.
119 sliders from Dylan Bundy so far this season.
30 called strikes, 50 swings, 1 hit. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/udr78PQZNi— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 13, 2020
The Orioles once thought Bundy, their first-round draft pick in 2011, would become an ace. After being held back by injuries and inconsistencies, he seems to be finding his footing in Anaheim.
Texas Rangers righty Lance Lynn has also been outstanding, with a 3-0 mark and a 1.11 ERA in five starts with 12 hits allowed, 36 strikeouts and 12 walks.
In the second year of a three-year, $30-million contract, Lynn has proven to be a good value for the Rangers. He gone 19-11 with a 3.38 ERA in 33 starts in a Texas uniform.
Speaking of value, even though Bieber and Cole are the top picks, Lynn provides that at +700.
And keep an eye to see if Minnesota Twins rookie right-hander Randy Dobnak winds up on the board. He is looking more and more like the real deal with each start.
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
