Paul Skenes continues to strengthen his position as the National League Cy Young frontrunner despite his losing record, while Tarik Skubal maintains his lead in American League voting odds according to the latest updates from sportsbooks.
The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation has improved to a 7-8 record with an impressive 1.94 ERA through 24 starts. What's remarkable is how consistent Skenes has been across his young career – maintaining nearly identical ERA numbers compared to his first 23 starts in the majors.
In the American League race, Skubal remains the betting favorite despite a recent rough outing where he surrendered four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Angels on August 8th. The Detroit hurler currently leads all AL pitchers with 23.6% of the betting handle.
Interestingly, Nathan Eovaldi has seen his odds shorten dramatically in recent weeks, even after experiencing his first truly disappointing start of the season. The veteran right-hander gave up five earned runs on eight hits – including three home runs – in just five innings against Arizona. Despite this setback, Eovaldi boasts a stellar 10-3 record with a 1.71 ERA through 20 starts.
"One bad start can't cancel out an entire season," as many baseball analysts have noted, though Eovaldi still doesn't qualify for the ERA title due to time spent on the injured list.
Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox has also stumbled recently, allowing five earned runs in four innings against Houston, potentially damaging his Cy Young campaign.
On the betting front, Skubal and Skenes are attracting the most action, commanding 23.6% and 26.8% of the handle in their respective leagues. Meanwhile, the Yankees' Max Fried (13.5% handle) and Phillies' Zack Wheeler (19.5% handle) remain in contention as serious challengers.
With approximately six weeks remaining in the regular season, will these frontrunners maintain their advantage, or could we see late-season surges from contenders like Wheeler or Fried? The Cy Young races appear far from settled as the playoff push intensifies.
