Bauer’s NL Cy Young Odds (+300) Now Shorter than deGrom’s (+400)
- Since July 9th, Trevor Bauer’s odds have shortened from +1680 to +300 to win the NL Cy Young
- Jacob deGrom, winner of the past two awards, remains steady as second favorite at +400
- Read on for the NL Cy Young race odds, analysis and best bet
Coming into 2020, New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom was the firm favorite to win his third straight National League Cy Young Awards, joining a select group of elite arms to accomplish that feat.
But 2020 hasn’t always stuck to the script so far, so it would almost make sense that an outside bet has swooped in to lead the way, leaving deGrom to quietly go about his business at the +400 second favorite.
And that outside bet would be Trevor Bauer of the Cincinnati Reds, who was +1680 to win the award just five weeks ago, but is now sitting pretty at +300 in the 2020 NL Cy Young odds.
2020 NL Cy Young Odds
| Player | Odds at BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Trevor Bauer (Cincinnati Reds) | +300 |
| Jacob deGrom (New York Mets) | +400 |
| Sonny Gray (Cincinnati Reds) | +600 |
| Jack Flaherty (St. Louis Cardinals) | +1000 |
| Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals) | +1000 |
| Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies) | +1200 |
| Luis Castillo (Cincinnati Reds) | +1200 |
| Dinelson Lamet (San Diego Padres) | +1600 |
| Max Fried (Atlanta Braves) | +1800 |
| Patrick Corbin (Washington Nationals) | +2000 |
| Walker Buehler (Los Angeles Dodgers) | +2200 |
| Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers) | +2500 |
| German Marquez (Colorado Rockies) | +2500 |
| Kyle Hendricks (Chicago Cubs) | +2500 |
| Yu Darvish (Chicago Cubs) | +2500 |
| Brandon Woodruff (Milwaukee Brewers) | +3500 |
| Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals) | +3500 |
| Chris Paddack (San Diego Padres) | +5000 |
| Jon Gray (Colorado Rockies) | +6000 |
| Garrett Richards (San Diego Padres) | +6600 |
| Mike Foltynewicz (Atlanta Braves) | +8000 |
Odds taken August 17th
Bauer and Sonny Gray Dominant for Reds
The former Cleveland pitcher has found himself in an enviable situation with Ohio’s other MLB team, in the sense that the right-hander is part of the Reds’ three-headed pitching monster.
Bauer, Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo are all in the top-seven favorites for the NL Cy Young, and while Castillo has so far struggled, Bauer and Gray are pushing each other to greater heights.
Hold my beer https://t.co/7Ib6Q7Fui7
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) August 15, 2020
Bauer is embracing the challenge posed by his teammate as they battle to be the Reds’ unquestioned ace, going 2-0 with a 0.93 earned-run average in three starts so far. Just as remarkable, he has given up just seven hits and issued four walks in 19.1 innings, while striking out 32 batters.
Gray, who was surplus to requirements with the New York Yankees, has found new life in Cincinnati. He went 11-8 with a 2.87 ERA in an All-Star 2019 campaign, where he finished seventh in the Cy Young voting, but he has started even stronger this season.
Sonny Gray making MLB History!! 🔥🔥🔥 #SonnyForCyYoung #Reds pic.twitter.com/BFFwPNYmmI
— Joey Votto Stan Account (@EvilJoeyVotto) August 11, 2020
Through five starts, the right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA with a WHIP of 0.91 and 45 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.
At +600, Gray is currently the third-favorite for the Cy Young, having seen his odds shorten dramatically from the +3420 they were back on July 9th.
Don’t Forget About deGrom
While he missed his last start because of neck stiffness, the Mets ace is still very much a favorite in the Cy Young race.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts this season, with 28 strikeouts across 22 innings and a WHIP of 0.95.
Jacob deGrom threw 5 100-MPH fastballs tonight, the most 100 MPH pitches in any game in his career.
He recorded his 42nd career 10-strikeout game and the 13th game of his career with 10 swinging strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/v2fOjqNh3j
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 4, 2020
Unlike Bauer and Gray in Cincinnati, deGrom doesn’t benefit from quite the same elite rotation. Marcus Stroman took the decision to sit out the season because of COVID-19, while Rick Porcello is struggling so far this season.
"Just kind of lingering neck tightness"
– Jacob deGrom on why he was scratched from his start tonight pic.twitter.com/a50IJoyAw0
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 14, 2020
But as a two-time winner, the unquestioned ace, and with the opportunity to join the likes of Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson as one of the few to win three consecutive Cy Young – deGrom likely needs little external motivation.
His 2019 campaign was a perfect example. With the likes of Stephen Strasburg, Jack Flaherty and Hyun-Jin Ryu all getting some Cy Young attention at the mid-point of the season, deGrom simply moved up a gear after the All-Star break.
Jacob deGrom has been elite from the start.
deGrom made his debut 6 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/VgcGovUumA
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 15, 2020
He went 7-1 with a microscopic 1.44 ERA in 14 starts over the second half of the season, ultimately claiming 29 of the 30 available first-place votes in the NL Cy Young.
Best bet: Sonny Gray (+600)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
