The 2024 MLB season is upon us, so it’s time to dive into our favorite futures bets to find value.
On this page, we’ll explore the AL Cy Young odds, taking a look at a favorite, contender, and sleeper for this award.
With that in mind, let’s look at the AL Cy Young odds and best bets for the 2024 MLB season.
AL Cy Young Odds 2024
AL Cy Young MLB betting odds are current as of Tuesday, March 19, and courtesy of bet365 Sportsbook.
- Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays (+550)
- Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles (+750)
- Framber Valdez, Houston Astros (+900)
- Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners (+1000)
- Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins (+1000)
- Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (+1000)
- George Kirby, Seattle Mariners (+1400)
- Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees (+1600)
- Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals (+2000)
- Grayson Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles (+2500)
Looking at the AL Cy Young odds, we can immediately cross off Gerrit Cole, who is going to miss a couple of months with nerve inflammation in his right elbow. Even if Cole beats his timetable and is back in a month, it’s hard to see the Yankee’s ace finding his top form right away, so don’t take him for this futures bet.
It’s also tough to trust Kevin Gausman despite his recent success, especially since joining the Blue Jays. Gausman is currently dealing with a shoulder injury that will make him unlikely for Opening Day. While the former Giant isn’t expected to miss much time, this increased injury risk isn’t a good sign for his AL Cy Young chances.
I’d recommend avoiding Framber Valdez for this award as well because the strikeout rate isn’t high enough to win this award. For Valdez to take the AL Cy Young, he would likely need to lead the league in innings pitched to make up for his lack of efficiency in racking up punchouts.
Now that we’ve listed three pitchers to avoid, let’s dive into our favorite, contender, and sleeper for the AL Cy Young.
AL Cy Young Favorite 2024
Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles (+750)
bet365 Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Corbin Burnes is in a contract year, set for his first season with the contending Baltimore Orioles
We’ve seen the former put up big numbers in the past — just look at his 2022 season, where he put up a 2.94 ERA with 243 strikeouts in 202 innings pitched.
That kind of high volume with strikeout efficiency is exactly what you want to target with a Cy Young candidate.
Add in the fact that the Orioles should provide a lot of opportunities for wins and you can see why Burnes is a great pick.
At (+750) odds, the price is right for Burnes to win this award.
AL Cy Young Contender 2024
George Kirby, Seattle Mariners (+1400)
bet365 Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Units
George Kirby has the best control in baseball, putting up an absurd 2.5% walk rate in 190.2 innings last year.
This type of elite command can allow Kirby to be more efficient and pitch more innings in his starts.
You love to see volume when you’re targeting a Cy Young candidate, making Kirby a worthy choice.
If the 26-year-old can find a way to increase his strikeout rate, we could see him contender for this award, especially with the Mariners as playoff contenders.
I like the odds at (+1400), which is a good enough price when you consider Kirby’s elite track record in his first two years in the big leagues.
AL Cy Young Sleeper 2024
Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals (+2000)
bet365 Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.25 Units
Cole Ragans caught fire with the Royals after coming over at the trade deadline last year, putting up a 28.8% strikeout rate and 3.47 ERA in 96 innings.
We’ve seen Ragans pick up right where he left off this spring, racking up 16 strikeouts in only 13.1 innings.
While the Royals are a longshot to make the playoffs, this is baked into the line at (+2000) odds.
If Ragans can continue to build off last season’s success, he has the profile that you want in a Cy Young candidate: high strikeout rate with potential volume.
Sprinkle 0.25 units on the new Royals’ ace to take home this illustrious hardware.
See the latest MLB futures odds and picks
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AL Cy Young Sleeper 2024
Sonny Gray, Minnesota Twins (+1800)
Caesars Sportsbook
Gray won’t win, but the Twins have one of the best rotations in MLB with Gray as the face of the staff.
The veteran’s 0.34 HR/9 and 4.7 LOB% are hands-down the best among the AL Cy Young candidates, and he has the best ERA by 0.03 over Cole.
However, Gray has two knocks against him: low innings pitched and the highest walk rate among Cy Young odds leaders.
It’s great to see Gray succeed, but he’ll be a footnote in the Cy Young race.
