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Walker Buehler looks to add on to Cy Young case

He’ll take the mound in the series opener in Cincinnati

Atlanta Braves v Los Angeles Dodgers Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

Based on betting odds, the NL Cy Young Award race is down to three pitchers. Max Scherzer, Corbin Burnes and Walker Buehler. Scherzer is the current favorite at +125, with Burnes right behind him at +150. Buehler sits at +350, but as we’ve seen in recent weeks this can change any given start.

Buehler was the favorite for a while, but his rough start in San Francisco hurt his odds. Not to mention, Burnes throwing eight no-hit innings and Scherzer being the hottest pitcher in baseball have also hurt his chances.

Here’s where the three pitchers rank compared to each other. The stat in bold is who leads between the three:


Walker Buehler

Wins: 14

ERA: 2.32

Strikeouts: 189

SO/BB: 4.02

FIP: 3.23

ERA+: 173

WHIP: 0.95

Innings: 186

bWAR: 5.8


Max Scherzer

Wins: 14

ERA: 2.17

Strikeouts: 219

SO/BB: 6.64

FIP: 2.86

ERA+: 186

WHIP: 0.82

Innings: 162

bWAR: 5.4


Corbin Burnes

Wins: 10

ERA: 2.25

Strikeouts: 210

SO/BB: 7.24

FIP: 1.50

ERA+: 188

WHIP: 0.91

Innings: 152

bWAR: 5.3


Buehler likely has three starts remaining, including tonight. It looks like a two-man race between Burnes and Scherzer, but there’s still time to make up ground. Having an advantage in innings certainly helps his case, but he trails in some of the major numbers.

Luckily for him, the Dodgers are currently in the middle of a tight division race. If he’s able to close the season with a bang and have three great starts, that could help his case with voters.


Game info

First pitch: 4:10 p.m. PT

Location: Cincinnati, OH

TV: SportsNet LA