[h=1]MVP and Cy Young bets to make[/h]David SchoenfieldESPN Senior Writer
MVP and Cy Young odds and bets I would make.
National League MVP
Clayton Kershaw (25-1): Bryce Harper is the favorite at 5-2 and I won't disagree with that, but Kershaw at 25-1 seems like a nice proposition. Remember, nearly every MVP winner in the wild-card era has come from a playoff team, Harper's win last year a rare exception. Of course, it's even more rare for a pitcher to win, but Kershaw won in 2014 andJustin Verlander in 2011, so voters are softening a little in that regard. FanGraphs currently gives the Dodgers 68 percent odds to win the NL West. What could help Kershaw, however, is the Dodgers don't necessarily have another big star. So if he wins 20 with a sub-2.00 ERA and 300 strikeouts, he'll be perceived as "carrying" the Dodgers to the postseason.
American League MVP
Miguel Cabrera (20-1): Mike Trout is the favorite at 5-2, followed byCarlos Correa at 4-1, and they're certainly the "safe" bets here. Mookie Betts at 40-1 is also a high-payoff proposition but Cabrera is more likely to put up the power and RBI numbers that voters love. Manny Machado is at 8-1 and off to a hot start, as are his Orioles, and I like him as well. As for Cabrera, remember that last year he hit .338 to win his fourth batting title in five seasons. He's off to a so-so start with one home run and four RBIs in eight games, but Detroit's starting pitching has looked better than 2015, which bodes well for the team's playoff hopes. If Cabrera hits .338 again and drives 115 runs or so, he'll have a decent shot -- especially if the Angels falter.
National League Cy Young
Field (7-2): Kershaw is 2-1 and he's the clear favorite in my book, but if you take the field you get both Noah Syndergaard AND Stephen Strasburg, and both are superb candidates. Syndergaard's stuff has been flat-out unfair so far and he has allowed one run with 21 strikeouts in 13 innings. Strasburg has added some sort of cutter/slider. After a DL stint for a neck issue last year, he was lights out, posting a 1.76 ERA during his final 13 starts. The field ballot would also include Gerrit Cole, Carlos Martinez and new phenom Vince Velasquez. Hey, you never know.
American League Cy Young
Dallas Keuchel (8-1): Chris Sale is the favorite at 4-1 in a wide-open field, followed by Felix Hernandez at 5-1 and David Price and Corey Kluber at 6-1. But I'm on the record as liking Keuchel as a repeat, and 8-1 would give a nice payoff. One concern: He has walked 10 guys in his first two starts. But one of those games came on a 36-degree day in New York. Still, those walks are already on his ledger so he'll have to cut way down to build up an impressive K/BB ratio that voters like.
MVP and Cy Young odds and bets I would make.
National League MVP
American League MVP
National League Cy Young
Field (7-2): Kershaw is 2-1 and he's the clear favorite in my book, but if you take the field you get both Noah Syndergaard AND Stephen Strasburg, and both are superb candidates. Syndergaard's stuff has been flat-out unfair so far and he has allowed one run with 21 strikeouts in 13 innings. Strasburg has added some sort of cutter/slider. After a DL stint for a neck issue last year, he was lights out, posting a 1.76 ERA during his final 13 starts. The field ballot would also include Gerrit Cole, Carlos Martinez and new phenom Vince Velasquez. Hey, you never know.
American League Cy Young
