Tuesday's MLB Slate Features Several Underrated AL Cy Young Candidates

We're rapidly approaching the MLB All-Star break and there's a loaded MLB slate with 16 games on tap for today.

The awards races are beginning to shape out and a number of players have separated themselves from the pack for each league's MVP and Cy Young trophies.

But with a few months left in the season, there's plenty of time for someone to make a run and put themselves in the thick of it.

With that in mind, there's several underrated American League Cy Young candidates slated to pitch today. Can any of them hurl a gem and enter the conversation? Using the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook, let's see who to keep an eye on today.

Underrated AL Cy Young Candidates Pitching Today

Alek Manoah (+1000) vs Royals

Of this group, Manoah has both the best odds to win the AL Cy Young award and the easiest matchup today. The Blue Jays take on the Royals, who are 3-14 in their last 17 and have firmly established themselves as the worst team in baseball.

Manoah had high expectations coming in 2022 and he's exceeded them. In 10 starts, the 24-year-old has a 6-1 record and 1.98 ERA, throwing a quality start nine times. He has the third-lowest expected ERA (2.52) in the American League and his MLB Statcast Pitching Profile is a sight to behold:

If Manoah dominates Kansas City as expected and Toronto keeps winning, his odds won't stay this short for long. WynnBET has the Blue Jays as -230 moneyline favorites and -135 on the run line.

Tarik Skubal (+3000) vs Pirates

I thought about changing the headline of this article to "HEY, TARIK SKUBAL PITCHES TODAY" but ultimately thought better of it. Even still, Skubal remains my favorite dark horse pick to win the AL Cy Young.

In his last 32 innings pitched, Skubal has held his opponent scoreless in 31 of them. He has a 4-2 record and 2.15 ERA, but he's catching fire. Skubal had a 1.45 ERA in May and has held four of his last five opponents scoreless, amassing a 0.84 ERA in that stretch.

Since I wrote Skubal was a screaming value before his last start, precisely six days ago, his Cy Young odds have fallen from +5000 at WynnBET to +3000. With a matchup against the Pirates tonight that the Tigers are -120 favorites in, I expect those odds to keep falling as Skubal continues to prove he's among the best pitchers in the sport.

Michael Kopech (+4000)

If I'm being honest, I don't think Kopech belongs with these other names. If Skubal is a screaming value to win the AL Cy Young, Kopech is a massive reach. He's got a sparkling 2.20 ERA, but his 4.67 expected FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) indicates he's been extremely lucky and negative regression is coming soon.

Kopech takes on the Dodgers tonight as as a +111 underdog and I'm fading him. He's a decent pitcher, but not a great one, as his command can completely disappear without a moment's notice. He's in the 12th percentile in walk rate and issued four in a disaster start against Toronto last week.

Againast a Dodgers lineup that averages the most walks per game in MLB, I expect Kopech's command issues to get him into trouble.

The 26-year old has a bright future, but until he stops throwing so many pitches outside of the zone I don't see him overtaking a stacked AL Cy Young leaderboard.

Jameson Taillon (+7500)

Taillon's exceptional season has been overshadowed by his teammate, Nestor Cortes, but make no mistake: Jameson Taillon is becoming an elite pitcher and a value at +7500. In his last three starts, Taillon has thrown 23 innings while allowing only two runs and issuing one walk. The Yankees are -154 to beat the Twins tonight and +110 on the run line and I love the value on Taillon to keep the dominance coming.

He took a perfect game into the 8th inning in his last start and I think his odds to win the Cy Young are going to drop dramatically in the coming weeks.

New York is 8-1 in Taillon's last nine starts and his emergence is becoming undeniable. He's issued only five walks in 58.2 innings all season and consistently frustrates hitters with his remarkable command. Taillon is basically the anti-Kopech, and is thus a fantastic bet at +7500.

Be sure to keep an eye on these four pitchers as you fill out your bet slip at WynnBET Sportsbook today. A parlay of all four winning pays out +805, or $80.05 on a $10 wager.

My distrust of Kopech is no secret, so I'd prefer a Blue Jays/Yankees/Tigers/Dodgers parlay that pays +684. But hey, maybe Kopech bounces back in a big way.

Whatever direction you choose, don't forget to snag a couple of futures bets at WynnBET before the value on these pitchers' odds disappears.

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.