Jacob deGrom pulls ahead in 2021 NL Cy Young odds

If you’re watching National League Cy Young Award odds, you likely saw a big drop in Jacob deGrom’s potential payoff a few days ago.

The New York Mets ace started the season at +500, but he’s now at +275 after a pair of stellar outings to kick off the 2021 campaign.

deGrom has been cruising in 2021

It’s tough to fault that movement given what we’ve seen thus far. He’s struck out 21 batters in 14 innings and has posted a microscopic 0.64 ERA and 0.71 WHIP. The Mets failed to win both of those starts, a fact that did not sit well with Met fans in attendance Saturday when a 14-strikeout performance wasn’t quite enough to beat the Marlins.

Cy Young voters are no longer zeroing in on wins 

Jacob deGrom already sports a pair of Cy Young Awards from his 2018 and 2019 campaigns, where the right-hander combined to strike out 524 hitters in 421 innings and posted a 0.94 WHIP. He went just 21-17 during those seasons, which is a testament to the poor offense the Mets have traditionally possessed. That deGrom overcame this combined mark to win the award not once, but twice, shows that those who decide the awards are taking different routes to doing so.

Cy Young voters have shown pitcher records aren’t quite as important as they used to be, and while deGrom will turn 33 this June, he’s shown no signs of slowing down. He’s been fairly healthy the past several seasons, with only a minor injury in 2018 on his medical report from the last four years.

DeGrom is poised to win his third Cy Young Award in four years

In past years, perhaps deGrom’s win-loss record would work against him, but times have changed. Other metrics are far more important, and those are boxes the Mets hurler has emphatically checked. +275 is a very short price to take in April for a full-season award, but if deGrom stays healthy, he’s strictly the one to beat.