39-Year Old Justin Verlander Sits as AL Cy Young Betting Favorite
- Justin Verlander is the current AL Cy Young betting favorite at -180 odds via PointsBet USA.
- Verlander is 15-3 with an ERA of 1.73 and a WHIP of 0.85 in 20 starts this season.
- No other pitcher aged 39 or older has posted an ERA lower than 1.75 through his first 20 starts of a season since well, Cy Young himself in 1926.
There must be something about superstar athletes married to supermodel wives.
Tom Brady, married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen, has played well into his 40s and helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV in 2020. Last season, the Bucs were unable to defend their title but Brady led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns while finishing second to Aaron Rodgers in the MVP balloting.
In baseball, Houston Astros’ starting pitcher Justin Verlander is married to another supermodel in Kate Upton. Verlander isn’t as old as Brady but at 39, he is way up there in years. At the age of 36, he won his second AL Cy Young award, doing so 8 seasons after he first won the award. That year, Verlander also had his first 300-strikeout season. But just when we thought he would age like fine wine, injury struck.
Verlander missed the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John’s surgery, and some ( even many ) didn’t think he would get his old form back given his age and the length of his absence. But Verlander has not only defied the odds and come back stronger than ever, but he is also now the odds-on favorite to win a third AL Cy Young award at the age of 39, 17 years after he made his MLB debut.
Verlander’s Numbers are Ridiculous for a Pitcher in Their Prime
Justin Verlander’s numbers are ridiculous for a pitcher in their prime. He’s 39 years old. 😤 pic.twitter.com/OmUijXhbej
— theScore (@theScore) August 5, 2022
Justin Verlander’s 2022 numbers are ridiculous for a pitcher in his prime, and he’s no longer supposed to be in his prime at 39. In his most recent start against the Cleveland Guardians last August 5th, Verlander pitched six scoreless innings while allowing only 2 hits with 5 strikeouts and one walks while throwing a total of 9 pitches.
Verlander has started in a total of 20 games this season and has posted a record of 15-3 with an ERA of 1.73 and a WHIP of 0.85. He is the American League leader in wins, ERA, and opponents OPS at .520. He is also second in WHIP and opponent batting average at .188. What’s even more impressive is that Verlander’s fastball velocity is higher this year than every other year in his career besides 2009-11 and 2017. That means he is still throwing 99 at 39 years old.
Here’s one more mind-boggling fact. When Verlander first won the Cy Young and claimed his only AL MVP award in 2011, he posted a record of 12-4 with an ERA of 2.15 in 151.0 innings pitched. Compare those numbers to his 2022 statistics. If you’re not impressed, go watch another sport.
But f there’s one single accomplishment that makes him worthy of the 2022 AL Cy Young award, it’s that he is the first pitcher to have an ERA below 1.75 at age 39 or older through 20 games pitched since 1926 when well, Cy Young himself accomplished the feat.
Verlander is now the AL Cy Young Betting Favorite
Defying the odds in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, Justin Verlander is now @PointsBetUSA‘s favorite to win the American League Cy Young. pic.twitter.com/xUeLIySCLx
— NBC Sports EDGE Betting (@NBCSportsBet) August 7, 2022
Coming off Tommy John’s surgery, Verlander opened with +1800 odds to win the AL Cy Young Award with the New York Yankees’ Gerritt Cole opening as the +450 favorite entering the season. In July, it was Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan who emerged as the +275 favorite.
McClanahan was still the +200 favorite to win the award at the All-Star break but with Verlander continuing to throw gems, He’s moved from +260 when the second half of the season began to -180 betting favorite at PointsBet USA.
Meanwhile, the surging Dylan Crease has moved to the second spot. Crease opened with the 5th best odds at +1200 and he was listed at +1000 at the All-Star break. But after Crease re-wrote the history books with his 13th consecutive game with one or fewer runs allowed, he saw his odds shorten to +400. Those odds are now at +300 with McClanahan falling to the third favorite spot at +700 odds. No other pitcher has current odds shorter than +1000
Verlander is also the -175 odd-on favorite at Caesars Sportsbook with Crease chasing him at +275 odds and McClanahan closer at +500 odds. At BetMGM, the Astros pitcher is listed at -155 with the White Sox’s ace at +280, and the Rays’ All-Star pitcher at +600 odds. Meanwhile, the longest current odds for Verlander is at -150 via Bet365 US with Crease and McClanahan pegged at +300 and +600, respectively.
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