Will the New York Yankees live up to the hype this season, or is another disappointing showing on the way for the AL East powerhouse? That’s what fans can’t wait to find out, as there’s a lot of pressure on the club. The same can be said for their ace pitcher, as Gerrit Cole is favored to record the most MLB strikeouts this season. It won’t be easy for him to get that done.
Cole is easily one of the best-starting pitchers in the bigs, and he’s got loads of confidence entering the new campaign. On Thursday, Cole will take the mound as the Yankees’ Opening Day starter to take on the San Francisco Giants. Yankee Stadium is expected to be packed for this one, as fans want to see NY start the season with a victory.
| Strikeout leader odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole to win | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Burnes to win | +850 | +850 | +850 |
| Strider to win | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Cease to win | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
It’ll be on Cole to try and help the team get the job done. When Cole is in rhythm, he’s one of the most difficult pitchers to hit off of. His nasty combination of pitches makes it easy for him to make the opposition look foolish. He’s known for striking guys out using his wide array of pitches. More of the same should be on the way for him this campaign.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, Cole holds +550 MLB betting odds to record the most strikeouts for pitchers this season. With him and Carlos Rodon being the one-two punch for the Yankees rotation, he’s got a great chance to make that happen. However, we’re going in a different direction for our pick to be the strikeout king.
While many people are on the Cole hype train, Corbin Burnes is our pick to record the most strikeouts in 2023. Burnes himself is one of the best pitchers out there as well. He’s still riding high from winning the NL Cy Young in 2021. While Sandy Alcantara won it last year, Burnes is ready to make a stake at things once again this season. Leading the MLB in strikeouts surely would help his case.
Burnes has been a tremendous hurler for the Brewers, a team that isn’t necessarily loaded with many star players. Despite not playing in a big market like New York or Chicago, Burnes has been a pleasure to watch in Milwaukee. If the Brewers are to post a strong season and make a run for the playoffs, Burnes will need a strong season. He’s starting Opening Day for the Brewers. Manager Craig Counsell is ready to see him excel.
“He was going to figure something out to get better,” Counsell said via the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal on Burnes getting himself ready for the new season. “That’s just how he does it. He’s always trying to figure something out to get better. It’s his nature. He’s not satisfied. He’s just a person that doesn’t feel satisfied. That’s just who he is.”
Per the oddsmakers, Burnes holds +850 Las Vegas betting odds to finish No. 1 in strikeouts for the year. While many people are rocking with Cole to come out on top, we think that the Brewers superstar will remind everyone of how dominant he can be. Look for Burnes to make a splash on Opening Day vs. the Cubs. We believe in him. He’s our pick to record the most strikeouts in the bigs in ’23.
Both Brewers and Yankees fans are surely fired up knowing that Burnes and Cole also have strong Cy Young odds. Luckily, these two won’t have to battle it out for the same honor, as Burnes is in the National League and Cole is in the American League. Still, it would be pretty sweet to see both of these standout pitchers take home the honor. It’s something that could go down too later this year.
Burnes recently won things in the NL in 2021, as he was nothing short of fantastic that year. Despite the Brewers not having memorable seasons in recent years, Burnes being able to win the NL Cy Young provided the fanbase with a lot of pride. It was the first time in club history that a Milwaukee pitcher was named the NL Cy Young. Burnes made history for the team and city. It’s something that people are still talking about.
Cole is one of the top-paid pitchers in the bigs. He’s always going to have unreal expectations on his back since he’s the ace pitcher for the Yankees. Fans in the Bronx would love nothing more than to see him win AL Cy Young this season. Those same folks dream of the Yankees winning the World Series this year. If Cole is pitching at a Cy Young-caliber level, then NY’s odds will only increase throughout the campaign.
