NL Cy Young Odds: Zack Wheeler Leads Star-Powered Award Race

There's no award race more unpredictable than a Cy Young race.

With the 2024 MLB season firmly underway, it's time to look ahead at the races for the top player awards in the sport. The National League Cy Young race was one of the most exciting to follow coming into the new season, and it hasn't let us down through the first month and a half. Some aces are delivering, others are surprising, and the rest haven't shown up just yet.

Let's dive into the NL Cy Young odds, per the MLB odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

NL Cy Young Odds

Zack Wheeler (+210)

The Philadelphia Phillies have opened up their season with a bang, taking the top seed in the NL East with a 25-11 record. A big reason for that success has been their ace, Zack Wheeler, who is currently the favorite to take home the NL Cy Young for the first time in his career.

Wheeler has made eight starts thus far, going 4-3 with a minuscule 1.64 ERA, ranking fourth among starters. His dominance thus far goes beyond that. The righty is seventh in strikeout rate (32.1%), fourth in FIP (2.29), sixth in SIERA (2.69), and third in expected ERA (xERA) (2.27).

It's been pure dominance, and out of the many pitchers who remain in the running so early in the season, he has the track record to keep this up. In two of the last three seasons, he's ranked top-10 among pitchers in Cy Young votes, which includes finishing second in 2021. With a 1.8 fWAR, Wheeler leads all pitchers.

Wheeler has the track record to suggest that this may be his year. At +210 odds, this could be the best to get him for the remainder of the season if he stays like this.

Tyler Glasnow (+480)

Tyler Glasnow has had the talent and skills to be a Cy Young award winner in his career. This season might be his chance to finally do it.

The Los Angeles Dodgers went out of their way to get Glasnow in the offseason, and he's done nothing but deliver.

Through his first eight starts, the 30-year-old has a 32.3% strikeout rate while limiting opponents to a super-low 26.3% hard-hit rate. In terms of the on-surface stats, his ERA does sit at 2.70, which is right in line with his 2.72 SIERA. Glasnow also has a 2.42 xERA and 2.44 FIP, further highlighting his strong performance on the mound.

Glasnow has a 1.5 fWAR that's tied for the third-best mark at the position. The only thing that has ever held back the right-handed starter has been health. If he can stay healthy, he's going to be in the conversation until the very end of the campaign.

Shota Imanaga (+900)

Shota Imanaga has taken the league by storm, making a serious case to be the pitcher you went to consider for the NL Cy Young this season.

Imanaga has made seven starts for the Chicago Cubs, going 5-0 with a league-leading 1.08 ERA -- which is a good lead ahead of the second-best option. The Japanese starter didn't receive the hype that Yoshinobu Yamamoto did coming into the league, but he is now. After the impressive ERA is a 2.38 FIP, 26.9% strikeout rate, and 0.82 WHIP.

Everything from Imanaga has shown he can handle the major league level and its hitters -- he's made sure they don't have the answers in his starts.

His expected numbers include a 2.75 xERA and 3.26 xFIP, so there could be some slight regression in the future as more hitters begin to figure him out. But for now, there's no reason to steer away from Imanaga, who is deservedly in the conversation.

Chicago's starter has a 1.4 fWAR, tied for sixth among starters. If he can keep his ERA low and continue to miss bats at a high rate, he deserves to be in this conversation beyond the month and a half we've already seen from him this season.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.