We’re past the one-quarter mark in the 2022 MLB season and now there’s enough sample size of games to re-visit MLB betting futures. In this article, we’re reviewing the MLB Cy Young race and which pitchers deserve a bet most. You’ll want to keep reading this if you want free picks on both the American League and National League sides.
2022 AL Cy Young Betting Pick
Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the current AL Cy Young betting odds, as set by the most popular online betting sites. There’s a familiar name favored to win the pitching award:
| Pitcher |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander | +400 | +400 |
| Kevin Gausman | +450 | +450 |
| Shane McClanahan | +800 | +800 |
| Alek Manoah | +850 | +850 |
| Gerrit Cole | +950 | +950 |
| Shohei Ohtani | +1000 | +1000 |
Is Justin Verlander for real right now? That has to be the prevailing thought among bettors and MLB hitters. The future Hall of Famer has returned from Tommy John surgery without missing a beat. The injury has kept him sidelined since October 2020. That, plus his age of 39, made many think retirement was right around the corner for the all-timer. Yeah, so much for that.
After eight starts in 2022, Verlander is leading the league with a 1.22 ERA. Moreover, he’s tied for second among pitchers with 2.2 rWAR. At this rate, he’ll be a shoo-in to take his third career Cy Young (he’s previously won in 2011 and 2019). However, that’s the thing, we just can’t imagine him continuing this almost unprecedented tear post-surgery at that age. His 26.3% strikeout rate is one suspect measure that eludes to how much defensive help Verlander has gotten defensively so far. If there’s any defensive regression, Verlander will be negatively affected.
And of course, any freak injury could derail Verlander’s Cy Young hopes. At his age, any setback usually takes longer to recover from and you’d think Houston would be cautious if something does come up. After all, they want Verlander in October more than a random June game. So we have our durability concerns with Verlander. However, no such thing exists for our Cy Young betting pick, Gerrit Cole of the Yankees.
Cole has started a full schedule of games for five years straight now. In the past four seasons, his ERA never went past 3.25. So far this year, it’s 3.31, so yes, Cole needs to be much better in order to win the AL pitching award, which we’re fully confident he’ll do from now until October.
New York has the best record in baseball and finally looks like World Series contenders once again. If that continues and Cole can up his solo performance, he’ll essentially become the best pitcher in baseball’s best team. More times than not, that’s a strong Cy Young case in itself. We’re betting that’s exactly what happens!
2022 NL Cy Young Betting Pick
Not unlike the AL Cy Young picture, the NL one is also wide-open. Here’s how the top MLB betting sites are currently pegging the award race:
| Pitcher | | |
|---|---|---|
| Corbin Burnes | +335 | +335 |
| Carlos Rodon | +700 | +700 |
| Pablo Lopez | +900 | +900 |
| Joe Musgrove | +1000 | +1000 |
| Walker Buehler | +1000 | +1000 |
| Zack Wheeler | +1200 | +1200 |
We talked up the importance of staying healthy to win this award on the AL side and we’ve seen that effect already in the NL. Mets ace Max Scherzer was the leading contender for Cy Young until he got injured a few weeks ago, sidelining him until July or so. Before the season started, his teammate, Jacob deGrom, was the runaway betting favorite in this category but hasn’t touched the mound due to his own injuries. So if not them, then who’s a good betting pick in the NL?
We’re going with Walker Buehler. A lot of what we said about Cole also applies to Buehler. He’s off to a solid start, but “slow” by his lofty standards. He has a 2.91 ERA, which is a step back from 2.47 a year ago. Buhler is struggling to stay in games so far. He’s been pulled before a full six innings on six occasions this year. This so-so performance has dropped his betting line to win substantially.
However, we see that as just an opportunity to get Buehler on the cheap. He’s still the team’s No. 1 pitcher and the Dodgers are right up there with the Yankees in playing ability — if not far more. Buehler will have all the talent in the world around him to return to his old self and we say it happens
How To Bet On 2022 MLB Futures?
The 2022 MLB Cy Young betting race is barely getting started. And with how frequent injuries are at the pitching position, the betting odds will likely be shifting plenty from now until the season finale in October. If you want to keep tabs on the odds, visit one of the bookmakers listed below. These sites mirror the top Las Vegas odds you’ll find at top casinos.
Of course, there’s a larger menu of bets available than merely the Cy Young. Other futures bets are also available such as the MVP or Rookie of the Year awards. For bettors looking for a quicker payout, there are also daily wagers — spreads, moneylines, over/under, and props. Click the table below to see what MLB action is currently available.
