Henry Roldán
With the mid-season break, we can begin to analyze the main candidates for the most important awards in the Major Leagues, such as the National League Cy Young.
In the last few campaigns, the award has been very closely contested and in the following list we show you the candidates that are leading the analysis as well as betting in Las Vegas.
CY Young Candidates in the National League for the Second Half of MLB 2022
Max Fried (+1600)
The performance of the ace of the Atlanta Braves’ rotation should not surprise anyone, as he has been a consistent performer on the mound since 2020.
Max Fried is the pitcher with the most starts in the majors this year (19) and worked 119.1 innings before the midseason break, the fourth-highest total in the league.
The right-hander is 10-3 with a 2.64 ERA, is second in FIP with 2.57 and ranks sixth in strikeouts with 109.
Tony Gonsolin (+1600)
It is surprising to see Tony Gonsolin so far ahead in the betting when we see that the Los Angeles Dodgers righty is the only pitcher, with legal innings, who has yet to lose an engagement while sporting an 11-0 record.
In addition to being co-leader of the Nationals in this category, the 28-year-old starter is first in WHIP (0.843) and H/9 (5.3), while he is second in ERA with 2.02.
However, one of the things working against Gonsolin is that his 93.2 innings of work are 40 less than the category leader, Sandy Alcántara, and he ranks 25th in strikeouts with 86.
Joe Musgrove (+1400)
In his second season with the San Diego Padres, Joe Musgrove‘s numbers are better than they were in 2021, and that’s saying something.
While he is far from the performance of the leaders in the betting to win the Cy Young, Musgrove is fourth in effectiveness in the National League thanks to his 2.42 and is tenth in strikeouts with 102 after 104 episodes worked.
Corbin Burnes (+700)
Last season’s Cy Young winner in the old circuit has earned the merits to fight for a second consecutive crown, although he is currently far behind Sandy Alcántara in the betting.
In 2022, with the Milwaukee Brewers, Corbin Burnes has continued his dominance on the mound and comes into the All-Star Game break as the Nationals’ leader in strikeouts and K/9 with 144 and 11.4, respectively.
He is also third in effectiveness with 2.14, has a 7-4 record in 113.2 innings of work and opponents are hitting just .180, the second lowest in the circuit.
Sandy Alcántara (-130)
Only a catastrophic second half could take the Nationals Cy Young from Sandy Alcántara, and analysts and Las Vegas know it.
The Miami Marlins starter is a big betting favorite thanks to a performance that has him leading the old circuit in effectiveness (1.76), complete games (2), innings pitched (138.1), batters faced (524) and ERA+ (233). In addition, opponents are averaging just .189, and he is fourth in strikeouts (123) and FIP (2.72).
But as if that wasn’t enough, the Dominican has dominated at will in recent months, making 13 consecutive starts by working at least seven innings and in only one of them did he not get a quality start.
