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MLB Futures Best Bets for NL CY Young: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

Midseason tips to win your fantasy baseball league
Eric Samulski and Scott Pianowski discuss what it takes to win your fantasy baseball league at the midpoint in the MLB season.

Vaughn Dalzell breaks down why you should rush to the window and get a piece of Paul Skenes’ odds for NL CY Young.

NL CY Young: Paul Skenes (+1100)

Through 11 starts, Paul Skenes has proved worthy of all the hype. Skenes is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts to 13 walks with a 2.6 WAR.

Skenes was +5000 to win the NL CY Young just a few days ago on FanDuel when I sprinkled him because it was +2500 on DraftKings. Now, his odds are +1000 to +1200 across the major sportsbooks after his no-hit seven-inning performance against the Brewers that featured a career-high 11 strikeouts and the final 16 batters retired.

It was Skenes’ second start of at least 11 strikeouts over six or more no-hit innings, joining Nolan Ryan as the only American/National League player to do that in the same season (1973), per MLB.com. Skenes’ 89 strikeouts are the fifth-most K’s through 11 starts in MLB history since 1901.

The Pirates are 8-3 in Skenes’ 11 starts with all three losses coming by one run each. On the road, the rookie has been electric and earned standing ovations from opposing fans, which is rare and can be compared to a similar viewing spectacle with Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge.

Skenes is posting a 0.86 ERA over five road starts with 48 strikeouts to five walks, a .135 OBA, and 14 hits over 31.1 innings. The former LSU produced faced Milwaukee, Atlanta, St. Louis, Detroit, and the Chicago Cubs on the road, and those offenses are no slouches.

As someone who has gone to three of his home starts, it’s always insane to say a rookie is one of the best pitchers or hitters in all of baseball, but Paul Skenes is one of the best pitchers in the league and as advertised.

So in other words, it’s time to bet on Skenes as an official play for CY Young before they drop his odds any lower following his All-Star performance. I played Skenes at +1100 for 1 unit to win the NL CY Young and would go down to +600, which is what I have Tyler Glasnow at.

Pick: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (1u)

MLB Futures in my pocket

3u: Aaron Judge to win AL MVP (+110)
2u: Aaron Judge to win AL MVP (-200)
2u: Luis Gil to win AL ROY (+140)
2u: Hunter Greene Over 183.5 Strikeouts (-106)
2u: Jesus Luzardo Over 189.5 Strikeouts (-110)
2u: Shohei Ohtani to lead MLB in homer runs (+325)
2u: Shohei Ohtani to win NL MVP (-140)

1u: Paul Skenes to win NL CY Young (+1100)
1u: Shohei Ohtani to win NL MVP (+370)
1u: Tyler Glasnow to win NL CY Young (+600)
1u: Tyler Glasnow to win NL CY Young (+350)
1u: Corbin Burnes to win AL CY Young (+400)
1u: Corbin Burnes to win AL CY Young (+350)
1u: Elly De La Cruz to win NL MVP (+1500)
1u: Elly De La Cruz to lead MLB in triples (+750)
1u: Elly De La Cruz to lead MLB in stolen bases (+700)
1u: Elly De La Cruz to lead MLB in stolen bases (+200)
1u: Ronald Acuna Jr. to win NL MVP (+500)
1u: Julio Rodriguez to win AL MVP (+1000)
1u: Jesus Luzardo to lead MLB in strikeouts (+3000)
1u: Hunter Greene to lead MLB in Strikeouts (+1700)
1u: Rockies to have the worst record in MLB (+220)

0.5u: Paul Skenes to win NL ROY (+2300)
0.5u: Paul Skenes to win NL ROY (+1700)
0.25u: Elly De La Cruz to lead MLB in HRs (+6500)
0.25u: Skenes/Judge/Ohtani/Burnes Parlay (+1350)
0.25u: Skenes/Judge/Glasnow/Burnes Parlay (+3708)

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