Blake Snell could take a big step toward another Cy Young vs. Dodgers
The San Diego Padres are having a miserable season, but don’t blame Blake Snell.
Given all the investments they’ve made in the roster, the Padres are perhaps the most disappointing team in baseball, and they wasted a great season from Snell. Snell’s ERA of 2.52 ranks second in the Netherlands. With odds of -225, he is the clear favorite to win the Cy Young. Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs is in second place with odds of +180.
If Steele has a chance of winning the award, Snell may have to fight on Wednesday. Snell and the Padres face the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are -130 favorites at BetMGM.
If Snell is leading the race now – and the odds seem a little off since Steele’s numbers are as good or better across the board except for strikeouts – a big performance against the Dodgers could move him even further forward in the Cy Young race bring. Snell also won the 2018 AL Cy Young while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.
It would be a bright spot in a bad season. The Padres have a 67-77 record, which is hard to believe given the stars they have. They were terrible for bettors. But every fifth day Snell was very good for her. We’ll see if Snell can knock out the Dodgers and become an even bigger favorite in the Cy Young race.
Here’s a first look at the sports betting list for Wednesday:
MLB is having a field day
There are 15 games in the majors as the playoff race tightens. There are three teams (Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays) with almost no separation for the final two AL wild card spots. Six teams are still in the running for the three NL wild card spots. The best division race remaining is in the AL West, where the Houston Texans are one game ahead of the Rangers and lead the Mariners by 1.5.
The afternoon games include the Mariners, who need to pull out a win over the Los Angeles Angels with Luis Castillo on the mound. Seattle is a huge favorite at -350 and can’t afford to miss games like this.
The biggest game takes place in Toronto. The Rangers are 105+ underdogs at the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Toronto is in the second wild card spot, half a game ahead of the Rangers and a full game ahead of the Mariners. Texas won the first two games of the four-game series.
What is the best choice?
Let’s go a little off the beaten path here. I’m happy to grab Justin Steele for NL Cy Young now. He has a better record, ERA and WHIP than Snell, the favorite. Chicago is in pretty good shape to make the playoffs and San Diego is nowhere near there. I’m not sure the argument is in favor of Snell over Steele, but you can get +180 odds on Steele. If Snell struggles on Wednesday night against the Dodgers, Steele’s chances aren’t as good on Thursday.
