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While the MLB season is just under a month old, it is never too soon to begin looking at the early-season favorites for all of the big-time awards. That includes the American League Cy Young award and as it stands, the three frontrunners are all left-handed.
The AL odds are much different from those in the NL, as all three from the NL are right-handers and two of three pitchers are in just their second season of pitching in the major leagues. As of Friday, the odds-on favorite in the AL is Boston Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet.
Crochet leads the way at +165 odds per ESPN Bet. He was traded to Boston from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason for a haul of prospects that included catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery.
Crochet has looked mighty impressive in his first season with the Red Sox, shown by his 1.95 ERA and 44 strikeouts across 37 innings pitched. With continued success like that from Crochet, Boston will be well on its way to another postseason.
Tarik Skubal follows closely behind Crochet at +360 odds. Skubal was last season's AL Cy Young and he is beginning to trend in the same direction that helped him win that award last season.
He has allowed just two runs in his last three starts and with an upcoming start against the Orioles, that number has a chance to stay at two. Skubal has a 2.83 ERA and 29 strikeouts across 28 2/3 innings and five starts, meaning he likely won't reach Crochet's mark of 44 strikeouts in six starts, but anything is possible.
New York Yankees left-hander and ace Max Fried is third on the list at +900 odds. Fried is in his first season with the Yankees after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Atlanta Braves.
Fried is a perfect 4-0 with an ERA of just 1.42 in his first five starts of the season. That ERA ranks sixth in all of MLB and third in the AL. Fried's success, combined with the dominance of Aaron Judge, are the two main reasons the Yankees sit atop the division in the AL East. Maintaining a 1.42 ERA over the course of the season is unlikely, but if he can keep it between 2.00-2.20, the New York left-hander will be in great shape to win his first career Cy Young Award.
More MLB: MLB Power Rankings: Yankees and Mets Rise, Dodgers Fall Behind Cubs
About the writer
Andrew Wright is a Newsweek contributor based in Lancaster, South Carolina. His focus is MLB content. Andrew has been with ... Read more