Throughout the 2023 MLB season, BetFTW is keeping track of the Cy Young and MVP award leaders in both the American League and National League.
Every two weeks or so, we’re listing our top-five leaders for each award along with stats to support their award cases. We also include each player’s betting odds from DraftKings to win the award, though it’s important to remember odds often attempt to predict who finishes the year at the top based on previous expectations, and they adjust as the seasons goes. We simply tell you which players have been the best.
Here are this week’s top five.
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American League Cy Young
Shane McClanahan is No. 1 for the fourth straight ladder (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
1. Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays (+250)
11-1 | 2.23 ERA | 100 SO | 3.1 WAR
Last ladder: 1st
We’re four ladders in and McClanahan has topped each of them, but his reign at No. 1 could end soon if the back tightness that forced his early exit from Thursday’s game turns out to be serious.
2. Framber Valdez, Houston Astros (+300)
7-5 | 2.27 ERA | 104 SO | 3.3 WAR
Last ladder: 2nd
Valdez is closing fast on McClanahan and actually has a higher WAR, as his 12 quality starts this season are tied for the American League lead.
3. Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees (+650)
8-1 | 2.64 ERA | 106 SO | 3.3 WAR
Last ladder: Not ranked
Cole reclaims his No. 3 spot after a short-lived drop off the last ladder thanks to an incredible four-game stretch in June where he’s allowed just five runs over 25 1/3 innings.
4. Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers (+1500)
9-3 | 2.80 ERA | 96 SO | 2.4 WAR
Last ladder: 3rd
The last three games have been rough for Eovaldi, who’s allowed five homers in that time after giving up just three in his previous 12 games.
5. Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins (+1900)
8-4 | 2.98 ERA | 100 SO | 2.3 WAR
Last ladder: Not ranked
Ryan slid all the way from No. 2 two ladders ago to not ranked at all, but he steadied things Thursday with a complete-game shutout of the Red Sox to gain the No. 5 spot.
National League Cy Young
Merrill Kelly makes his Cy Young ladder debut at No. 5 (Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)
1. Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs (+1100)
9-4 | 2.28 ERA | 83 SO | 4.0 WAR
Last ladder: 1st
Stroman might be playing the best baseball of his life right now, going seven straight starts of at least six innings pitched and fewer than three runs allowed.
2. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (+500)
9-4 | 2.72 ERA | 103 SO | 2.8 WAR
Last ladder: Not ranked
After a subpar May, Kershaw has bounced back in a big way in June, allowing just four runs through four starts including two separate seven-inning shutouts.
3. Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks (+170)
9-2 | 2.84 ERA | 104 SO | 2.3 WAR
Last ladder: 4th
Gallen has made all four ladders this season, though this is his fourth different spot as players climb and fall around him. More starts like his last two, where he gave up just a single run over seven innings in each, will go a long way towards preventing another dip below No. 3.
4. Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves (+5000)
5-1 | 2.40 ERA | 75 SO | 3.3 WAR
Last ladder: 2nd
Elder joins Gallen as the only players to have been featured on every NL ladder this season. Two rough outings at the start of June that ballooned his ERA a little make this his lowest spot since he debuted at No. 5.
5. Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks (+3000)
9-3 | 2.90 ERA | 96 SO | 2.2 WAR
Last ladder: Not ranked
Kelly makes his ladder debut — and gives us two D-backs in the top-five — by just being consistent. He hasn’t allowed more than four runs in a game this season, and he’s allowed fewer than four runs in all but two games.
