American League Cy Young Futures: Tarik Skubal a Clear Favorite to Repeat

The American League Cy Young race is alive and well, with reigning winner and Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal on his way to another award as he continues to dominate two months into the season. While he’s the favorite, there’s a few others who could potentially give him a run for his money. Below, we’ll discuss a handful of contenders, including Hunter Brown, Max Fried, and Jacob deGrom.

Odds provided by Sports Interaction.

AL Cy Young Odds - Outright Winner

Skubal is a heavy -190 favorite at MLB betting sites. Brown, Fried, deGrom, and even Garrett Crochet are all ones to watch as well.

Tarik Skubal (-190)

Skubal has truly emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball across the last couple of years and that’s been very much once again in 2025. The southpaw has gone 6-2 in 13 starts, compiling a stellar 2.16 ERA. Skubal is practically unhittable, and he’s missing a lot of bats as well. Skubal has struck out 105 batters in just 83.1 innings while holding opponents to a .202 average. The lefty hasn’t allowed more than five earned runs in a single start and that was a rarity. Skubal is third in the big leagues in Ks. He’s one of the most consistent starters around, and if he keeps it up, another Cy Young award will be in his trophy case.

Hunter Brown (+700)

The Houston Astros have dealt with numerous injuries this season, especially when it comes to their pitching staff. Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier remain out, while Ronel Blanco just had season-ending Tommy John surgery. Thankfully, Brown has stepped up to lead this rotation. The right-hander has dominated, compiling a 8-3 record and 1.82 ERA. That’s fourth in the American League. Brown has struck out 93 in 79 innings of work while walking 25. He’s only surrendered two runs across his last three outings. The 26-year-old will continue to have every opportunity to shine at the top of this staff.

Max Fried (+700)

The New York Yankees signed Fried to a megadeal this past offseason with the hope he could be a superstar in the Bronx. With Gerrit Cole on the shelf, it became even more important that Fried pitches well, and that’s exactly what he’s done. Fried has a 1.78 ERA and 8-1 record so far, sitting fourth in the MLB in ERA. He’s sat down 77 in 81 frames via the K while issuing just 18 free passes. Fried was second in the NL Cy Young voting in 2022 as a member of the Atlanta Braves, but this is his first year in the AL. There is still a lot of time left in the campaign and if Fried keeps up his brilliance, he will continue to be in the running alongside Skubal and Brown.

Jacob deGrom (+800)

It’s been a treat to finally see deGrom healthy after several injury-riddled seasons. Baseball is truly better when the veteran is pitching on a regular basis. deGrom is leading the Texas Rangers’ rotation with a 2.12 ERA and 6-2 record. He’s struck out 74 in 76.1 innings and walked only 17 batters. The 36-year-old still has an electric fastball and consistently pounds the strike zone. deGrom is no stranger to winning the Cy Young, capturing the award in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019 with the New York Mets. deGrom’s stuff is still top notch, and he’s certainly one to watch in the AL Cy Young race here.

AL Cy Young Picks

It’s only June. The odds can change a lot in the coming months, but I really do have the utmost belief in Skubal. He’s arguably the best in the game right now, and he is truly the full package. The Tigers are an elite ball club, and Skubal simply can do no wrong. Another Cy Young award looks to be in the cards.

Pick: Tarik Skubal +190/Sports Interaction