Betsided

Zac Gallen is the NL Cy Young Darkhorse You've Been Looking to Bet

By Reed Wallach

Apr 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen against the Los Angeles
Apr 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen against the Los Angeles / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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The National League Cy Young race is shaping up to be the most hotly contested award race in the 2022 MLB season.

With injuries to Jacob deGrom and more recently Max Scherzer, the Cy Young betting market is flush with opportunities. 2021 winner Corbin Burnes is the favorite as of now, but there is plenty of time for the cream to rise to the top as pitchers like Walker Buehler remain firmly in the mix. But what about someone from a non contending team that's putting up better numbers than everyone?

What if that player's team is pushing his price in the double digits? Is that something you might be interested in?

Meet Zac Gallen, the best pitcher in the National League this season and starter for the Arizona Diamondbacks. I'll state the case for Gallen to win Cy Young, but let's first check the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook:

National League Cy Young Odds

  • Corbin Burnes: +350
  • Carlos Rodon: +500
  • Walker Buehler: +800
  • Pablo Lopez: +1000
  • Max Scherzer: +1200
  • Clayton Kershaw: +1500
  • Joe Musgrove: +1500
  • Logan Webb: +1500
  • Max Fried: +1500
  • Zack Wheeler: +1500
  • Zac Gallen: +1500
  • Kyle Wright: +2000

Gallen Undervalued Given 2022 Performance

Above, I listed the top candidates for NL Cy Young thus far, but some of the players Gallen is being grouped in are pitchers who are simply not up to par with him this season. To be honest, nobody is matching Gallen through the first quarter of the season.

At the moment, Gallen is not qualified to lead the big leagues in ERA. He's one start behind leader Pablo Lopez who is also a strong candidate this season, but is already being priced like it. After another start, Gallen will all but certainly be at the top of the list. Currently, he has a 1.14 ERA through seven starts while posting a WHIP (Walks, Hits per Inning Pitched) of 0.702, also the best in baseball.

Gallen isn't a vaunted strikeout pitcher like some others in the mix so the numbers aren't as gaudy (8.9 K per 9), but he is allowing less than five hits per nine innings while posting an xERA just over 2.00. He is forcing soft contact by his opponents and he is pitching to expectation, as indicated in the xERA. If we are going by FIP, another metric used to measure pitchers actually impact once the ball is put in play, Gallen is third.

The Diamondbacks start is in lockstep with Lopez at the top of WAR for pitchers according to Baseball Reference as well as adjusted pitching wins. By all accounts, Gallen is a legitimate threat to take the crown this season, so why is he still far off?

The real answer is the name on his jersey and the team he plays for. Gallen (and Lopez for this matter) are both not household names being lumped in with the marquee stars of the National League. If Gallen continues to find his excellent control (less than two walks per nine innings) and the Diamondbacks remain around .500, then Gallen will continue to catch up to the likes of Burnes and Rodon.

While his team likely will be in a a race for the Wild Card at best, Gallen will have plenty of opportunities to face elite competition in the NL West like the Dodgers, Padres and Giants, all of which have noted Cy Young candidates.

Gallen may not win when it's all said and done, but while building out your Cy Young betting portfolio, he must be considered.

You can find all of Reed's bets HERE!

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