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2021 NL Cy Young preview: DeGrom leads crowded field

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

If you thought the NL MVP race was teeming with high-end talent, the Cy Young field might be even deeper.

The 2021 list features stars aplenty, including three familiar faces atop the oddsboard. Having covered the AL earlier this week, let's now dig into the NL.

Player Odds
Jacob deGrom (NYM) +500
Trevor Bauer (LAD) +700
Max Scherzer (WSH) +850
Walker Buehler (LAD) +1000
Yu Darvish (SD) +1000
Aaron Nola (PHI) +1200
Blake Snell (SD) +1200
Jack Flaherty (STL) +1300
Luis Castillo (CIN) +1500
Max Fried (ATL) +1700
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) +2000
Stephen Strasburg (WSH) +2000
Charlie Morton (ATL) +2200
Brandon Woodruff (MIL) +2200
Patrick Corbin (WSH) +2800
German Marquez (COL) +3000
Mike Soroka (ATL) +3000
Sonny Gray (CIN) +3300
Sixto Sanchez (MIA) +3300
Zack Wheeler (PHI) +3300
Corbin Burnes (MIL) +4000
Carlos Carrasco (NYM) +4000
Zac Gallen (ARI) +5000
Kevin Gausman (SF) +5000
Josh Hader (MIL) +5000
Pablo Lopez (MIA) +5000
Joe Musgrove (SD) +5000
Marcus Stroman (NYM) +5000
Noah Syndergaard (NYM) +5000
Jon Gray (COL) +6000
Chris Paddack (SD) +6000
Jake Arrieta (CHC) +6000
Kyle Hendricks (CHC) +6600
David Price (LAD) +6600

DeGrom edges Bauer, Scherzer

Each of the last five awards have gone to either deGrom, Bauer, or Scherzer. It's the Mets right-hander - who won in both 2018 and '19 - leading the pack this cycle.

The 32-year-old finished ninth in Cy Young voting after last year's shortened season but combined for a mind-bending 17.5 WAR over his two first-place bids. He leads one of the deepest supporting casts in baseball, as the Mets' four candidates on the list match the Dodgers and Padres for most in the NL.

Hader makes the cut

Hader is the lone reliever to make the cut after morphing into one of the game's most dominant arms. He logged a gaudy 14.9 K/9 and led the league in saves (13) last season. Hader wasn't the best reliever on his team in 2020; that was Rookie of the Year Devin Williams, who quietly finished seventh in Cy Young voting thanks to a 0.33 ERA and 17.9 K/9 across 22 appearances.

FanGraphs' Steamer projections tab Hader for a 1.2 WAR and 25 saves in 2021.

Darvish, Wheeler trending up

Darvish looked like his old self last season with the Cubs, posting an 8-3 record alongside a 2.01 ERA, 0.961 WHIP, and 2.7 WAR over 12 starts. He's skyrocketed up the oddsboard after being listed at roughly 40-1 entering 2020.

Wheeler is also gaining traction as he gears up for his second campaign with the Phillies. He led the NL in HR/9 and posted a personal-best 2.92 ERA en route to a 12th-place finish in Cy Young voting last summer - not too shabby for a 50-1 long shot.

Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.

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