2022 AL Cy Young Award odds: Rangers lone American League team to never have winner; Jon Gray +25000 to be first for Texas

Three active Major League Baseball franchises have never had a Cy Young winner, and the lone team in the American League without one is the Texas Rangers. We think it's fair to say that drought will not end this season because the only betting option on the 2022 AL Cy Young Award odds at Caesars Sportsbook is new Rangers right-hander Jon Gray way down at +25000. Those are tied for the longest odds of any pitcher.

Texas should be much better offensively this season with the free-agent additions of former Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and ex-Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien for about $500 million combined. Seager is a former NL Rookie of the Year and World Series MVP, and Semien was third in the AL MVP voting last year in Toronto.

The Rangers won 60 games in 2021 and are set at Over/Under 74.5 this season in large part because of those two. The problem is the pitching staff looks quite weak again – Texas had the third-worst ERA (5.33) in MLB in 2021 -- even with Gray. Before the lockout, the Rangers signed the former Colorado Rockies right-hander to a four-year deal worth approximately $56 million. He has posted a 4.59 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.34 WHIP over 829 1/3 innings in his career.

One would think Gray was hampered pitching half the time at Coors Field, but Gray had a 4.02 home ERA last year and a 5.22 road ERA. No question that Gray does have good stuff, though – that's why he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 draft, one spot behind Kris Bryant – as he struck out 157 in 149 innings last year.

The Rangers open the season in Toronto on Friday and Gray will get the call. He had six strikeouts over four innings last Sunday in his final Cactus League start against the Brewers. Gray finished the spring with only six innings pitched, allowing two runs and eight hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks.

Gray is given an Over/Under of 10.5 wins this year. His career high is 12 victories in 2018 when he had a 5.12 ERA. He also started Opening Day in 2017 and '18 with the Rockies. Gray will be the 13th different pitcher to start an opener for Texas in the last 14 seasons. Cole Hamels (2016 & '18) is the only one to do so twice in that span.

Every other American League team has had at least two Cy Young winners. The lone National League teams without any are Colorado and Miami.

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