By Larry Rupp
Don’t look now, but the 2022 MLB season is going to be here sooner than you know it. Opening Day is on March 31 and teams are starting to fill out their rosters in an attempt to win a World Series title. Of course, one roster will contain the eventual American League Cy Young winner.
Let’s take a look at the top three candidates to take home the honors, with all odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees (+450)
For the third season in a row, New York Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole enters the year as the favorite to win the AL Cy Young award. He has yet to earn the hardware in his career, but the veteran has finished among the top five in voting in each of his last four campaigns. Cole finished the 2021 season with a league-leading 16 wins and posted a 3.23 ERA across 30 starts (181.1 innings).
The 31-year-old flamethrower also averages 10.4 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched in his career and has the ability to sit batters down one by one. The biggest thing Cole has going for him, though, is the fact that the Yankees are widely expected to be a playoff team in 2022. If he can carry this rotation to the postseason, it’ll be hard to overlook his success. Consistency is key here and it’s about time Cole truly puts it all together.
COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT 🔥
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 11, 2021
Gerrit Cole dominates his former team as the @Yankees get the W pic.twitter.com/3gkml4Bx5i
Shane Bieber, Cleveland Guardians (+700)
It wasn’t too long ago that Shane Bieber was looked at as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. After all, the Cleveland hurler won the AL Cy Young award in 2020 during what was only his third MLB season. A shoulder injury cut Beiber’s impressive season short last summer after he posted a 7-4 record to go along with a 3.17 ERA and struck out 134 batters (16 starts).
Reports claim Bieber is quickly returning to full health and that should be a scary thought for opposing teams. The 26-year-old holds the MLB record with 20 straight starts of at least eight strikeouts, which proves how capable he is of simply shutting down complete lineups. Bieber has become a leader both on the mound and in the dugout for manager Terry Francona’s Guardians. That makes him a name to watch out for in the Cy Young race.
Shane Bieber's 11th strikeout caps his nine-shutout-inning performance and sends this game into extra innings.#OurCLE | Bally Sports Great Lakes 📺 pic.twitter.com/759uLE4kaI
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) April 14, 2021
Robbie Ray, Seattle Mariners (+900)
Covering the topic of the AL Cy Young award without mentioning reigning winner Robbie Ray would be downright disrespectful. The eight-year pro punctuated what had been an up-and-down career with a breakout season in 2021. Ray led the league with a 2.84 ERA and racked up a ridiculous 248 strikeouts in 193.1 innings pitched. His dominance even led to a massive five-year deal worth $115 million with the Seattle Mariners that was signed in late November.
The focal point of Ray’s turnaround last season was his improvement in the walks department. It had been an issue throughout his career, yet he did not give up nearly as many free passes in 2021. There’s no reason to believe he can’t replicate his results given he keeps that total down. Ray’s unique arsenal of pitches has molded him into one of the most exciting pitchers to watch and a legitimate threat to repeat.
The 4th Cy Young Award Winner in franchise HISTORY: @RobbieRay 🏆 pic.twitter.com/F5CYbYxBE8
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) November 17, 2021
The rest of the top 10 players include Lucas Giolito (+1100), Sean Manaea (+1200), Dylan Cease (+1200), Lance McCullers Jr. (+1400), Justin Verlander (+1500), Frankie Montas (+1500) and Shane McClanahan (+1600).
Picture Credit: Erik Drost
