Verlander favored to win AL Cy Young, Cole not far behind

The tightest battle in the American League isn’t between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians. It’s between a pair of teammates.

Houston Astros aces Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are nearly neck-and-neck in the latest 2019 AL Cy Young Award odds available at BetAmerica. The hard-throwing right-handers have been engaged in a fiercely competitive game of one-upmanship all season long, with one brilliant performance after another.

Every time it looks like Cole might pull away, Verlander responds with a signature outing, like Sunday’s sensational three-hit, 10-strikeout effort against the Seattle Mariners.

Odds to win the 2019 AL Cy Young Award

With less than a third of the season remaining, which of these hurlers will come out on top?

The case for Justin Verlander

Few players have done a better job defying Father Time more than the 36-year-old Verlander. The eight-time all-star leads the American League in eight statistical categories, including wins, ERA and WHIP, and is surrendering 1.2 fewer hits per nine innings than his next closest competitor.

Unlike past years Verlander is doing more than just overpowering hitters. He’s using his fastball 10% less than a season ago and is relying more on his slider, curveball and changeup. His mastery of those pitches makes his heater even more dangerous, which has resulted in 206 punch-outs in 157 2/3 innings.

The case for Gerrit Cole

If not for Verlander, Cole would be the odds-on favorite to win the Cy Young award. The 28-year-old leads the AL in strikeouts and is the only other player in the league to rank in the top five in wins, ERA and WHIP.

Cole has been especially dominant lately. The three-time all-star hasn’t lost a decision since May 22 and has given up two runs or less in each of his five previous starts.

Does anyone else have a shot?

The one other player who could give Verlander and Cole a run for their money is former teammate Charlie Morton. The Tampa Bay Rays starter is 12-4 with a sparkling 2.77 ERA and is fourth in WAR for pitchers.

However, manager Kevin Cash has been adamant that the Rays will monitor Morton’s workload during the second half of the season, as he gets closer to setting a new career high in innings pitched. Without enough innings–and outings–it’s doubtful Morton can make up ground on Verlander and Cole.

Morton may be an analytics darling, but he's a longshot. The smart money is on Verlander, as he continues his pursuit for his second Cy Young.

---

Play ball! Visit BetAmerica today for a wide selection of MLB futures and daily odds.