Two New York City pitchers are leading the betting odds for the most wins on the MLB season, with Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and Mets right Max Scherzer boasting solid chances to walk away with the league lead in victories.
Gerrit Cole
The Yankees 31-year-old is the odds-on favorite to take home the wins crown this season, according to the popular online sports betting website BetMGM.
Cole boasts +650 odds to best every other pitcher in the major leagues for the most wins (meaning gamblers would win $6.50 for every $1 wagered). Cole’s chances are very much helped by the bats in the Bronx Bombers lineup, who continue to pile on runs against opposing defenses and have propelled New York to the best record in the MLB.
At 61–25 heading into Tuesday night’s matchup with the Cincinnati Reds, the team sits 4.5 games ahead of the next-best squads, which is a tie between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros.
On the season, Cole has already accumulated 8 wins, which puts him behind a plethora of other pitchers — including a duo of Dodgers’ Tony Gonsolin and Astros’ Justin Verlander, who each have recorded 11 victories.
Still, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas believe that Cole will emerge victorious on the season, and they’ve given him the best odds to do so.
So far this year, Cole has recorded a 3.26 ERA, while giving up 73 hits and 36 runs though 99.1 innings pitched.
He struggled in the beginning of the season, but he’s found his rhythm as of late. This season has seen him make the All Star game (though he is unlikely to pitch in the game in Los Angeles, as he is slated to pitch against the Red Sox just before the game).
Oddsmakers clearly believe that Cole, backed by the most dominant power-hitting offense in baseball, will prevail this year — as he leads Dodgers’ Buehler (+800) and Mets’ Scherzer (+800) in the betting market for most wins.
Max Scherzer
Despite missing a significant amount of time this season, Mets righty Max Scherzer is tied with Buehler with +800 odds to win the most games this season (meaning gamblers would win $8 for every $1 wagered), according to BetMGM.
The 37-year-old righty came to Queens on a three-year, $130 million contract this offseason, and (when he’s been on the field) has proven his worth for the Amazins’.
Scherzer left his start on May 18 with a “moderate to high grade internal oblique strain,” and missed over a month until he returned to the mound on July 5.
Max Scherzer motions to the dugout and leaves the game in the middle of the 6th: pic.twitter.com/EG5DkMTBN2
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 19, 2022
His triumphant comeback, when he tossed 6 innings and gave up just 2 hits and 0 earned runs was spoiled when the Mets lineup couldn’t muster any scores, and delivered him the loss. Still, he took to the mound again on July 11 for a victory over the Atlanta Braves — giving him his 7th of the season.
On the year so far, Scherzer has tossed 62.2 innings, and recorded a stellar 2.15 ERA, while accumulating 41 hits and 16 runs.
As long as he can remain healthy for the remainder of the season, the three-time Cy Young Award winner will make a run towards the top of the statistical records, and potentially overtake the group of pitchers who have taken a lead above him during his absence.
Meanwhile, the Mets are still waiting on the return of their ace, Jacob deGrom, who has yet to pitch for New York after suffering an injury in spring training.
DeGrom, despite being out thus far, boasts +900 betting odds to lead the league in wins — the same odds as Philadelphia Phillies’ Zach Wheeler.
