NL Cy Young Futures: Zac Gallen ahead of Clayton Kershaw

With the first half of the 2023 MLB season winding down, it’s a perfect time to take a deep dive into the NL Cy Young futures. At the moment, there is a plethora of contenders to win the award, but Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen is the frontrunner heading into the All-Star break next week. Clayton Kershaw, who has already won it three times, isn’t far behind him. Below, we’ll discuss several potential contenders.

Zac Gallen

Gallen might not have the best ERA in the National League. That belongs to Justin Steele. But, his overall numbers are impressive, going 10-3 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 18 starts. He’s struck out a whopping 120 hitters in 111.1 innings and surrendered only 23 free passes. It also does help that Arizona is the best team in the NL West right now. Gallens owns +225 odds at BetMGM. He always gets tons of run support every time he steps on the mound and his K to BB ratio certainly jumps off the page. But, Gallen must keep dominating in the second half because there are several guys who could still surpass him in the Cy Young race.

Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw is on the 15-day IL, which isn’t going to help his case. But, he does expect to be back after the All-Star break. The southpaw has the third-best ERA in the NL at 2.55, also compiling a 10-4 record. He’s struck out 105 in 95.1 innings and issued only 24 walks. Kershaw looks like his old self, consistently pounding the strike zone and changing speeds. Since he doesn’t have the same juice on his fastball anymore, that’s crucial. 

Spencer Strider

There’s one perfect word to describe Spencer Strider: Electric. The Atlanta Braves right-hander sits consistently in the mid to high 90s with quality off-speed stuff. He’s bounced back after a tough spell where he gave up a boatload of runs and seems to be on track again. It’s difficult to ignore his numbers, too. Sure, the 3.66 ERA isn’t amazing, but he’s racked up 155 K’s in 98.1 innings while walking 32 and going 10-2. Strider must find some consistency if he’s going to compete for the Cy Young, but with arguably the best offense in the big leagues behind him, Strider is probably worth a look at most MLB betting sites.

Marcus Stroman

Stroman is loving life in Chicago. He’s heading to the All-Star Game to represent the Cubbies and even has the chance to potentially win the Cy Young. He's 9-6 with a stellar 2.66 ERA in 18 starts. Stroman is the ultimate competitor and an absolute workhorse. He also barely gives up homers and induces a ton of weak contact.

Logan Webb

Webb was pitching rather well until June rolled around, collecting an ERA of 4.70 in six starts. He’s also just 7-7 on the season and seems to be declining right now, although his overall ERA does still sit at 3.39, which is respectable. Nevertheless, Webb will need to really be solid each and every week to actually find himself in the Cy Young race in a couple of months.