That didn't take long. Only shortly after Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez was given the best odds to win the 2023 AL Cy Young award, Tampa Bay Rays starter Shane McClanahan reclaimed his spot as the betting favorite.
Shane McClanahan is the 2023 AL Cy Young favorite with +270 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, as of this story's publication. Valdez has the second-best odds at +360. Early Tuesday afternoon, the odds for the Rays and Astros' aces were flipped.
It's possible the odds changed after MLB bettors jumped at the chance to bet on McClanahan when they saw that he was no longer the AL Cy Young favorite. Through 16 starts, McClanahan leads the AL with an 11-1 record and a 2.23 ERA. The Rays' pitcher has a 1.12 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 93.0 innings.
Valdez's stats are similar to the numbers that McClanahan has put up in the first half of the 2023 season. The Astros' left-hander has a 2.27 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 99.0 innings. Valdez has struck out 104 batters and only allowed six home runs.
If team success is used as a sort of tiebreaker, McClanahan will likely get the nod over Valdez. The Rays are 10.5 games better than the Astros and running away with the AL's best record. Houston is five games out of first place, and the Astros are no longer favored to win the AL West.
The MLB odds for the next tier of AL Cy Young contenders have not changed since earlier Tuesday. Toronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (+480) is still the No. 3 candidate. New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (+500) has the fourth-best odds. Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo (+1200) and Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels (+1200) remain tied with the fifth-best odds.