Cy Young Award race 2024: Zack Wheeler, Tarik Skubal lead Cy Young race, latest odds
2024-05-06
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Who will win the Cy Young Award in 2024? More than a month into the 2024 MLB season, it’s time to start evaluating the AL and NL Cy Young candidates this season.
We’re tracking the major award races in baseball this year, including the MLB MVP race in the National League and American League. Considering we’re in an era where the MVP typically goes to a hitter, it’s fitting to devote some attention to the battle for the Cy Young Award in each league.
Let’s dive into this year’s Cy Young Award race. Below, you can find the latest odds and the history of winners.
NL Cy Young Award race: Tyler Glasnow, Zack Wheeler battling
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Player
ERA
IP
WHIP
BAA
K% – BB%
fWAR
Zack Wheeler
1.91
42.1
0.92
.173
30.6% – 7.1%
1.4
Tyler Glasnow
2.70
50.0
0.92
.181
32.3% – 6.7%
1.5
Ranger Suarez
1.72
47.0
0.72
.172
26.9% – 3.5%
1.4
Dylan Cease
2.55
42.1
0.80
.136
29.8% – 8.7%
1.3
Shota Imanaga
0.78
34.2
0.75
.172
26.5% – 3%
1.2
MLB statistics via FanGraphs. Stats as of May 6
Zack Wheeler, Phillies – The Philadelphia Phillies rotation is locked in this season and Zack Wheeler is the face of it. In his age-33 season, Wheeler has been Mr. Consistency. He’s allowed three-plus runs just twice this year and he held opponents to 1 earned run or less in five of seven starts. He was racking up strikeouts at an absurd rate in May (41 in five starts) and his .173 batting average allowed to opponents is one of the lowest marks in baseball.
Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers – In an offseason with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto named as the headline additions for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tyler Glasnow has proven to be just as important. Since a rough Dodgers’ debut – 6 base runners allowed in 5 innings – Glasnow sports a 2.60 ERA, a .188 batting average allowed and has held opponents to a .563 OPS in his last 7 starts. Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles is 6-1 over that stretch.
Ranger Suarez, Phillies – Zack Wheeler might be leading the NL Cy Young Race, but his teammate Ranger Suarez is earning plenty of votes right now. Suarez actually has a lower ERA and WHIP than Suarez, he’s just not striking out as many batters. Over the last five starts, Suarez carries a 35-5 K-B line with a .171/.209/.228 slash line allowed to opponents.
Dylan Cease, Padres – Getting out of Chicago was all Dylan Cease needed to turn things around. With his new team, the 28-year-old righty is posting numbers similar to his AL Cy Young-caliber season in 2022 with the Chicago White Sox. It’s just a shame the rest of the Padres rotation is making Cease carry this team right now.
Shota Imanaga, Cubs – No one saw this coming from Shota Imanagaa when he signed out of Japan. Teams thought he would be a good pitcher, but the new ace of the Chicago Cubs rotation has an ERA nearly as low as his WHIP. Even if some regression comes, Imanaga is one of the best pitchers in the National League right now.
AL Cy Young Award race: Tarik Skubal’s breakout is here
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Baseball-Reference.comhttps://www.baseball-reference.com › … › G Listing
Player
ERA
IP
WHIP
BAA
K% – BB%
fWAR
Tarik Skubal
1.90
42.2
0.77
.174
32.7% – 3.7%
1.5
Tanner Houck
1.90
45.1
0.97
.216
25.4% – 3.9%
1.6
Logan Gilbert
1.69
48.0
0.79
.152
28.2% – 7.3%
0.9
Kutter Crawford
1.56
40.1
1.07
.199
24.2% – 7.9%
1.5
Corbin Burnes
2.61
41.1
0.92
.193
25.8% – 5.7%
0.7
MLB statistics via FanGraphs. Stats as of May 6
Tarik Skubal, Tigers – The breakout year everyone was waiting for is here. Tarik Skubal isn’t just one of the best pitchers in the American League, he’s been one of the most dominant hurlers in MLB this season. When opponents are striking out nearly 33 percent of the time against you and batting under .175, you lead the AL Cy Young race.
Tanner Houck, Red Sox – The Boston Red Sox being carried by starting pitching isn’t something we expected in 2024. Yet, in early May, Tanner Houck leads all AL starting pitchers in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement and a year removed from posting a 5.01 ERA with a 1.19 HR/9, Houch sports a 1.99 ERA and 0.20 HR/9 through 7 starts. Plus, that .290 batting average on balls in play and a reasonable 72.4 percent left-on-base rate suggests plenty of this is legitimate.
Logan Gilbert, Mariners – Dominance on the mound from Logan Gilbert isn’t surprising. What is unusual, though, is his walk rate (7.3 percent) has ballooned from where it was last season (4.7 percent). Even with Gilbert allowing more free passes, he’s still been outstanding at recording outs (.152 batting average on balls in play).
Kutter Crawford, Red Sox – Tip your cap to Boston’s pitching coach this year. Much like his teammate, Crawford has dramatically reduced his ERA (4.04) and HR/9 (1.18) from last season to now (0.22 HR/9). While he isn’t missing a ton of bats, Crawford’s ability to limit the damage on the infrequent occasions when he allows baserunners has put him in the AL Cy Young race right now.
Cy Young Award odds 2024
Here are the latest Cy Young Award odds right now, via DraftKings.
Here are the latest Cy Young Award winners in the last 10 years. Further below, you can find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the award.
Roger Clemens has the most Cy Young Awards in MLB history, winning seven during his career. Clemens won six AL Cy Youngs and won it once in the National League.
Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson are the only two MLB players who have won four Cy Young Awards in a row. Maddux won the NL Cy Young from 1992-’95, while Johnson took home the Cy Young from 1999-2002.
While Nolan Ryan is viewed as one of the best pitchers in MLB history, having led the majors in strikeouts in 11 different seasons, he never won the Cy Young. He finished second once and placed third once, but voters knocked him for his record and not leading the league in ERA more often.