AL Cy Young Odds Slightly Favor Cole (-140) Over Verlander (+100)

• Houston Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole the favorite to win the 2019 AL Cy Young Award
• Cole (-140) surged past teammate Justin Verlander (+100)
• Verlander was leading this betting market since early August

Is Gerrit Cole about to wear the crown as the American League’s best pitcher over Houston Astros teammate Justin Verlander?

The overpowering Astros right-hander is listed as a -140 favorite in the likely final, iteration of the AL Cy Young odds.

2019 American League Cy Young Award Odds

*Odds taken on 10/02/19.

Verlander, who won the award in 2011, had been the chalk in this betting market since early August, as shown in SBD’s 2019 AL Cy Young Award odds tracker.

Measuring Cole vs Verlander

Could this race be any closer to call? Verlander closed out the regular season by recording his 3,000th career strikeout and topping 300 strikeouts in a season for the first time in his MLB days while winning his 21st game.

Cole followed up by setting an MLB record, recording his ninth consecutive double-digit strikeout game. He fanned 10 over five innings in the Astros’ 8-5 regular-season-ending win over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on Sunday.

Cole went 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, .186 batting average against, and a franchise-record 326 strikeouts in 212.1 innings. Verlander was 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, .172 batting average against, and 300 strikeouts in 223 innings. He also threw the third no-hitter of his career.

Cole and Verlander finished first and second (in some order) in the AL in wins, ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, and opponents’ batting average.

Your 2019 strikeout king: Gerrit Cole! 🔥🔥

P.S. the runner up is also on the @astros (Justin Verlander) pic.twitter.com/BxeXXGrbvf

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 29, 2019

Verlander led the AL in wins, hits, walks per nine innings (0.803), hits per nine innings (5.529), strikeout/walk ratio (7.143), games started (34) and WAR for pitchers (7.8).

Cole led the league in strikeouts, ERA, and in strikeouts per nine innings (13.818).

Fueled By Cole

Cole went 16-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his final 22 starts of the season. He struck out 226 batters in 146.2 innings over that span. He was clearly the most dominant pitcher in baseball during this run of success.

Your 2019 American League pitching leaders

W: Justin Verlander (21)
Sv: Roberto Osuna (38)
ERA: Gerrit Cole (2.50)
IP: Justin Verlander (223)
SO: Gerrit Cole (300)
Opp. AVG: Justin Verlander (.172)
WHIP: Justin Verlander (0.80)

— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) September 30, 2019

He collected 21 double-digit strikeout games during the season, destroying the club record. Cole is the fourth pitcher with as many as 21 double-digit strikeout games in a season, joining Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, and Randy Johnson.

Johnson (three times) and Ryan (once) hold the MLB record of 23.

Justin’s Time?

Verlander’s magical 2011 campaign earned him both the AL MVP and Cy Young Award. He won’t get the former this season, but will be get the latter?

Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are the first pair of teammates to strike out 14 or more batters in back-to-back games since 1893 (h/t @EliasSports). pic.twitter.com/7peLKk8YRW

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 2, 2019

He also finished strongly. Over his last 15 starts, Verlander was 11-2 with a 2.06 ERA, 147 strikeouts, and a 0.79 WHIP.

Will Altercation Hurt Verlander?

Verlander’s late-season decision to have a Detroit baseball writer he’d disagreed with banned from the Astros’ clubhouse while he did his postgame media session following a start against the Tigers in Houston might come back to bite him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXxJkfWCx48

Not only did it violate the MLB CBA, the decision alienated Verlander in the eyes of many baseball writers because he was seeking to prevent one of their brethren from doing their job.

And you know who votes on the MLB awards? The baseball writers, that’s who.

Will they hold a grudge?

Two Tie, All Tie?

Cole has suggested that the best solution to this dilemma would be to do something unprecedented and give the AL Cy Young Award to both pitchers.

It’s never happened in the history of the AL award, which goes back to 1967.

The best show this September: Astros teammates Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole playing Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better in an effort to take the AL Cy Young.

Verlander in September: 28 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 40 K.

Cole in September: 29 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 49 K.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 19, 2019

Here’s another viewpoint – Cole is a strikeout pitcher. People love overpowering hurlers. They’re the sluggers of the mound.

Verlander has his Cy Young. Cole doesn’t. That is, until this year, he didn’t.

Pick: Gerrit Cole (-140).