The Major League record may no longer be held in the same esteem as it once was thanks to all the new metrics for evaluating pitcher performance. However, being the MLB pitching leader will always demonstrate a pitcher’s ability on the mound as well as how much his club was able to capitalize on each of his starts, therefore it may also be called a team effort.
Here, at JefeBet, we will review the top pitchers and their chances of winning the title of pitching leader at the end of this 2022 MLB season.
Favorites to Be MLB Pitching Leader in 2022
Logan Gilbert (Odds 13/1)
Logan Gilbert has been a model of consistency in the 2022 MLB season, pitching at least five innings in each of his starts to date, ensuring he always has the final say.
Out of his 20 starts, 12 were top ones, so his 10-4 record reflects that he has also received good offensive support. However, the Seattle Mariners could stop winning in the second half of the season, which may end up affecting his record and his chances of fighting for the top spot.
Alek Manoah (Odds 8/1)
Manoah, like Gilbert, is proving to be one of the surprises of the season, as the 24-year-old has even been involved in the race for the American League Cy Young with an 11-4 record and a 2.24 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 120.2 innings.
However, Manoah is affected by the same problem as Gilbert. The Blue Jays have been an inconsistent team this season, although lately their offense has improved a lot and ranks among the best in the MLB, so perhaps they may improve their record in the second half of the season.
Tony Gonsolin (Odds 7/1)
Tony Gonsolin has accumulated 11 wins so far this season, and his chances of adding to that number are high considering he belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are expected to continue to amass victories in the second half of the season.
The Vacaville native has also been doing well on his own with a 2.02 ERA and a slight 0.84 WHIP in 93.2 innings, Additionally, the only opening in which he allowed more than two runs was precisely in the last one (7 hits, 5 clean innings, 6 strikeouts and 1 base on ball against Cardinals).
Kyle Wright (Odds 5/1)
Kyle Wright currently ranks second in MLB wins with 12 total, and that number could continue to rise as he finds himself with the Atlanta Braves, the team with the third-best record in the National League.
His 2.95 ERA shows that Wright has not been unstoppable,but the fact that Atlanta is averaging 4.8 runs per game (third-best average in MLB) and hitting 151 homers (second most in the majors) is clearly the kind of endorsement a pitcher needs to compete for this honor.
Justin Verlander (Odds 3/1)
Justin Verlander is the current MLB leader in wins with a total of 13, just one more than his closest challenger, so he could lose the top spot at any moment. However, the 39-year-old veteran’s performance doesn’t suggest that this is possible.
Verlander iseems to be aging like wine, and his 1.86 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 116.1 innings have him contending for the Cy Young title this 2022. In this way, finishing this season as the pitching leader would make his candidacy that much stronger.
His last five starts ended in wins for his record, with all of them seeing him allow one run or less, and Houston will be hoping for that same performance between now and the postseason.