2022 MLB Cy Young Odds: Gausman Joins AL Favorites Amid Outstanding Start

The baseball season is in full swing as we descend deeper into May and we've got a look at some updated odds for the MLB Cy Young races in addition to our MLB MVP odds and Rookie of the Year odds.

The American League remains packed atop the board with four different starters tied for honors as betting favorite. Meanwhile, reigning NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes is favored on the Senior Circuit, though the gap isn't wide.

Here's a look at the latest odds to win the respective Cy Young awards in the 2022 MLB season.

Odds to win AL Cy Young award

Odds courtesy of SuperBook Sports as of May 10, 2022.

AL Cy Young favorites

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros (+600)

Verlander has been either the solo betting favorite or part of a group for several weeks now, and it's easy to see why. He's sporting a 1.93 ERA over 32-3 innings in his return from Tommy John surgery and has pitched through six innings in four of his five starts. The only potential cause for concern is a diminished strikeout rate. But even there, it's not like he's lost velocity on his fastball. Verlander is averaging right around 95 mph, which is mostly in line with career norms. He's not issuing walks, either, posting a 1.10 BB/9 thanks to just four free passes. Basically, Verlander is pounding the zone and daring opponents to hit the ball. And so far, it's working.

Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees (+600)

Cole has now rattled off three straight quality starts in the wake of his disastrous outing in Detroit where he lasted just 1 2-3 innings in the shortest start of his career. In those three games, Cole has allowed one earned run over 19 innings and that came on a solo homer to Kole Calhoun. Despite that blemish, Cole looks more like himself and could easily shake those early-season worries pretty quickly.

Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays (+600)

It took Gausman until his sixth start with the Blue Jays to issue his first walk of the 2022 season. So he now owns a 46:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 38 innings. Incredible. On top of that, the right-hander still hasn't allowed a home run, making him one of five qualified pitchers to completely suppress the long ball (and he's thrown more innings than all of them). This is especially impressive considering he's faced some potent offenses like the Yankees, Red Sox (twice), and Astros already.

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (+600)

Completing the logjam is Ohtani, who is coming off an absolutely dominant outing against the suddenly hapless Boston Red Sox. In that outing, he struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings and allowed neither a walk nor home run on the night. It may only be outdone by his six-inning gem against the Astros where he struck out 12 and allowed only one hit and one walk. While the 3.08 ERA is good, his 1.52 FIP suggests it should be better. He has a legitimate shot at winning both the AL Cy Young and AL MVP this season.

Odds to win NL Cy Young award

Odds courtesy of SuperBook Sports as of May 10, 2022.

NL Cy Young favorites

Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers (+400)

Since his clunky season debut, Burnes has been flat-out masterful on the bump over five starts. In 33 2-3 innings, he owns a 1.34 ERA with 46 strikeouts compared to five walks. His problem is a lack of run support as he's just 1-2 through six outings. The rise in homers is a little concerning, but not enough to raise the white flag. He's been one of the NL's top arms, but there is still competition lurking.

Max Scherzer, New York Mets (+500)

Scherzer, while solid through six starts with the Mets, might be getting the benefit of the doubt compared to some of his rivals on the odds board. Name recognition and all that. Still, it's a testament to how good Scherzer is that a 2.92 ERA could be considered "lesser." He's a workhorse who will almost always deliver at least six innings per start. He's labored through his last two a bit, allowing seven runs over 12 innings while allowing 15 hits (four home runs) — all against the Phillies.

Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers (+500)

One of two MLB pitchers to record a complete game this year — the other inexplicably being Patrick Corbin — Buehler has been sharp. He's allowed just one earned run over his last 21 innings, and even if he's not recording strikeouts at an elite pace, he's getting the job done thanks to inducing plenty of soft contact.

Carlos Rodon, San Francisco Giants (+800)

Risk of injury will likely always be in mind when it comes to Rodon, the results have been pretty spectacular so far. He's completed six innings in three straight starts and hasn't allowed more than two runs in a single outing yet this season. And he just struck out 12 Rockies over six innings of work on Monday. Like Gausman — the man he ostensibly replaced in the Giants rotation — Rodon has yet to allow a home run on the year. 

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (+800)

Understanding Cy Young odds

Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When Shane Bieber looked to have the AL Cy Young locked up last September, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number. 

• Shane Bieber -300

That means that a bettor in September had to wager $300 to win $100 by betting on Bieber. Before this year's race even began, every candidate had a (+) sign in front of their number.

• Gerrit Cole +325

With Cole's current odds, a bettor stands to profit $325 for every $100 wagered on him. 

If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.

MLB Cy Young Odds