It’s not even mid-May yet, and we already have a runaway favorite for the National League Cy Young award.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler has lapped the field after a dominant first month-plus to the 2024 season, putting himself in prime position to win his first Cy Young.
Wheeler is +190 to win the award at FanDuel Sportsbook, well ahead of the second-favorite Tyler Glasnow, who is +500.
The pair are the only pitchers with odds better than 12/1, indicating that oddsmakers are seeing it shaping up as a two-horse race.
Wheeler is coming off a seven-inning, 11-strikeout win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday, which further boosted his already award-worthy numbers.
The 33-year-old right-hander dropped his ERA to an NL-leading 1.64 with the performance, his most dominant start of the young season.
Heading into Tuesday’s play, Wheeler leads all pitchers in FanGraphs WAR (1.8) and ranks top-10 in FIP (2.29), K/9 (11.49), batting average against (.171), K/BB ratio (25.5 percent) over 49 ⅓ innings, which trails only Glasnow.
Wheeler has been one of the best pitchers in the Senior Circuit over the past half-decade, receiving Cy Young votes in three different seasons and finishing as high as second in the 2021 season.
Although he wasn’t the favorite heading into the season, Wheeler has been seen as a top contender for the award since Spring Training.
Wheeler trailed only Braves flamethrower Spencer Strider in early March on the odds board at bet365.
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Strider’s elbow injury in April took him out of the running for the award, vaulting Wheeler to favorite status.
The Phillies, who are an MLB-best 25-11 before their series opener against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, have two more pitchers with a shot at the NL Cy Young.
Amid a breakout season, Ranger Suarez is +2000 to win the award, while Wheeler’s co-ace, Aaron Nola, is +3500.