Rays vs. Yankees Wednesday MLB probable pitchers, odds: AL Cy Young race could gain clarity with Shane McClanahan facing Gerrit Cole

Now that the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline is in the rearview mirror, it's stretch run time as teams will basically have to make do for a playoff push with the rosters they have. While the Tampa Bay Rays are almost surely postseason bound, the New York Yankees have an uphill climb and didn't make any major trades … but they still could have a star player capture a major award for a second straight year. The winner of the 2023 AL Cy Young could be determined partly by what happens Wednesday between the teams from Yankee Stadium with aces and top Cy contenders Shane McClanahan and Gerrit Cole facing off. NYY is a very short favorite at Caesars Sportsbook.

Cole recently retook the AL Cy Young betting lead at DraftKings and is +110 currently. The 32-year-old is 9-2 with a 2.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 149 strikeouts in 22 starts. He has allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of those starts, tied for the most such starts in the majors. The Yankees are 15-7 in his 22 starts this season. The Yankees haven't had a Cy Young winner since Roger Clemens in 2001.

If Cole has an utterly dominant effort on Wednesday, it might be enough for him to stay atop the Cy Young betting board for good with less than two months remaining. Cole had a 1.47 ERA and .149 opponents' batting average in four starts vs. the Rays last year, but a 6.30 ERA and .289 OBA in two starts vs. Tampa Bay in 2023.

For tonight, he's +150 to personally win and set at Over/Under 7.5 strikeouts, 18.5 outs recorded and 2.5 earned runs.

In the wake of the Yankees not making a significant addition by Tuesday's deadline, they are  now +320 to make the playoffs. A pitcher doesn't necessarily have to be on a playoff team to win a Cy Young, although it certainly doesn't hurt. Aaron Judge would have won the 2022 AL MVP playing for Kansas City most likely much less the Yankees.

Tampa Bay is battling Baltimore for the AL East lead and best record in the American League. The Rays, who are -3500 to make playoffs, added starting pitching Monday in Cleveland's Aaron Civale and that was a major need with the rotation suffering major injuries to Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs.

McClanahan (+450 for Cy Young) dealt with some back trouble in late June and some of last month and it contributed to some lesser starts than we are accustomed to for the lefty, who is 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 118 Ks in 20 overall starts.  McClanahan's lone start vs. the Yankees this year was not a good one May 15 at Yankee Stadium as he took a no-decision after allowing four runs over four innings.

He is now 1-3 with a 3.93 ERA in seven career starts vs. the Yanks. Aaron Judge is 4-for-18 off him with two homers. Gleyber Torres hits him well, too, at 6-for-16 with two doubles and a homer.

McClanahan is +205 to win tonight and set at O/U 6.5 strikeouts, 16.5 outs recorded and 2.5 earned runs. He's +110 to allow the first ER of the game with Cole at -125. The Rays bat first so Cole should be favored. 

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