The 2021 MLB season is winding down and fans are paying close attention to each individual award race. When it comes to this year’s American League Cy Young award, it has had its fair share of favorites throughout the campaign. However, Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray is currently BetOnline’s 2021 AL Cy Young favorite at -130 odds.
Ray has looked amazing throughout his first full season with the Blue Jays. In fact, he’s playing the best baseball of his career. He’s 12-5 through 29 starts and is pitching to an AL-best 2.64 among qualified pitchers. He also leads the American League in innings pitched (177.1) and hits per 9 innings pitched (6.9) while also being the MLB strikeout leader (233). Just looking at those statistics makes it easy to see why Ray is the current 2021 AL Cy Young favorite.
What’s most impressive is that Ray owned +1200 odds to win the award back on August 5. Since then, he’s gone 3-0 in eight starts with a 1.70 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. As long as he continues playing like that, you’d have to think that there’s a good chance for Ray to win his first Cy Young award. It also helps that the Blue Jays are the hottest team in baseball at the moment, having gone 16-3 in their last 19 games. A hot team only motivates a pitcher to play better, so continuing that would only help further cement Ray’s odds going forward.
2021 AL Cy Young Odds Update
Odds via BetOnline as of Friday, September 17
- Robbie Ray (-130)
- Gerrit Cole (+100)
- Lance Lynn (+900)
- Carlos Rodon (+2500)
Gerrit Cole Cy Young Odds
The only pitcher with 2021 AL Cy Young odds close to Ray’s is New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole at +100. The 31-year-old entered the 2021 MLB season after finishing top-5 in Cy Young voting in each of the previous three seasons and he’s well on his way to continuing that this year.
Cole boasts a 15-7 record with a 2.75 ERA through 27 starts, with his wins total being an American League-best. That’s not to mention his 224 strikeouts on the year or the fact that he leads the AL in the following statistical categories: WHIP (1.002), SO/9 IP (12.3) and Ks per win (6.05). All of Cole’s efforts this year earned him his fourth MLB All-Star nomination, which was well-deserved considered the season that he’s been having.
Unless something changes, Cole is scheduled to face the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays to end the season. The last two starts are certainly tough, so it’ll be interesting to see how he does against both teams as he attempts to strengthen his 2021 AL Cy Young odds.
Lance Lynn 2021 AL Cy Young Odds Plummet
Just over a month ago, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher was the 2021 AL Cy Young favorite at -150 odds. Unfortunately for him, that isn’t the case anymore now that his odds have plummeted to +900.
It’s tough to gain Cy Young support when you’re not racking up victories. That’s the case for Lynn, who is 0-1 through his last six starts. He has a 3.94 ERA during that span after allowing 14 earned runs and is, overall, playing below how he was to start the year. Now, the 34-year-old veteran finds himself falling back in the Cy Young race after that rough stretch.
Still, that stretch hasn’t totally ruined Lynn’s stats. His 10-4 record and 2.50 ERA are still impressive, as is his 1.053 WHIP. The main issue is that he doesn’t lead the American League in any categories, which obviously makes it tougher to view him as the AL’s best pitcher.
Nevertheless, he’ll likely play the Indians, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers to end the season and those are all winnable games. It’ll be important for Lynn to actually get the decision in each of them, which would go a long way in improving his 2021 AL Cy Young odds.
