Odds to Win the 2012 American League Cy Young Award


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Justin Verlander wont the 2011 AL Cy Young with a truly remarkable season. He become the first pitcher to win the AL MVP since Roger Clemens did so back in 1986. It’s unlikely even Verlander himself will be able to top that performance in 2012. For those of you thinking about placing a bet on this prop bet, here is a close look at the three favorites. I’ve also added in my sleeper pick, who I really feel has a good shot to bring home the hardware this season.

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers (+450) – Verlander finished the 2011 season with a 24-5 overall record, posting a 2.40 ERA and o.92 WHIP in 34 starts. He was simply dominant from start to finish. Not only did he lead the AL in wins, ERA, and WHIP, but he also struck out a league-leading 250 batters and pitched his second career no hitter. Verlander will attempt to be the first AL starter to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Pedro Martinez in 1999 and 2000. Even if he takes a minor step back from last year’s numbers, he still has a great shot at winning this award.

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels (+550) – Lost in all of Verlander’s success, was the breakout season of Weaver, who went 18-8 with a 2.41 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 33 starts. Most years those kind of numbers are a lock to win the award. Just two years ago, Felix Hernandez won the AL Cy Young going 13-12 with a 2.27 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. The addition of Pujols should give Weaver enough run-support to reach the 20 win mark in 2012.

C. C. Sabathia, New York Yankees (+650) – Sabathia always seems to be in the mix for this award. He won the AL Cy Young in 2007 with the Cleveland Indians, going 19-7 with 3.21 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts in 34 starts. To give you an idea just how well Verlander and Weaver pitched last year, Sabathia went 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 230 strikeouts in 33 starts and didn’t have a chance at winning the award. In all honesty, you could place a $100 bet on all three of these guys, and as long as one of them wins you walk away up at least $150.

Sleeper Pick: C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels (+1200) – If you are looking for someone with a little better odds for a bigger return, I think Wilson is someone worth taking a shot on. A lot of people will overlook him because he listed as the Angels No. 3 behind Weaver and Dan Haren. Wilson signed with the Angels after being the ace in Texas the past couple seasons. The switch from hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark to Angel Stadium is what really has me liking Wilson in 2012. Over the last two seasons, Wilson had an ERA of 3.70 and WHIP of 1.25 at home, while posting a 2.56 ERA and 1.18 WHIP on the road.

Complete Odds to Win 2012 AL Cy Young

Justin Verlander +450
Jered Weaver +550
C.C. Sabathia +650
Felix Hernandez +700
David Price +700
C.J. Wilson +1200
Dan Haren +1500
Ubaldo Jimenez +1600
Jon Lester +1600
Michael Pineda +2000
Clay Buchholz +2200
James Shields +2500
Colby Lewis +2500
Derek Holland +2500
Ricky Romero +2500
Matt Moore +2500
Yu Darvish +2500
Justin Masterson +2500
Hiroki Kuroda +3000
Josh Beckett +5000
Mariano Rivera +5000


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