Mariners vs. Astros Wednesday probable pitchers, odds: Justin Verlander starts as new AL Cy Young betting favorite

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander is a first-ballot Hall of Famer with his two Cy Young Awards and an AL MVP on his resume, but most assumed his Cy Young days were over at age 39 and after missing most of 2020 and all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Yet Verlander is the +650 AL Cy Young favorite at Caesars Sportsbook when he takes the mound in a Wednesday matinee vs. Seattle. Houston is a -190 favorite.

Verlander is 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA, MLB-best 0.69 WHIP and 28 strikeouts to just four walks and 14 hits allowed in 26 innings. Batters are hitting a scant .161 off him. The right-hander looks as dominant as the pitcher who won his second Cy Young Award in his last full season in 2019. He comes off a season-high 91 pitches against Texas where he allowed one run on four hits without a walk and eight strikeouts. He threw 42 fastballs -- averaging 95.3 mph -- and 28 sliders but said his best pitch was his curveball, which he threw 20 times.

Verlander did pitch in Seattle on April 16 and threw eight shutout innings with three hits allowed in a victory. It was his first time finishing eight innings since Sept. 1, 2019. He hasn't gone more than seven otherwise this year. Very few Mariners have good career splits off him. Ty France is 2-for-3. JP Crawford 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.

The Astros might be in last place in the AL West right now if not for Verlander and the rotation as the lineup is not hitting much with a collective .215 average and clearly missing the departed Carlos Correa.

Seattle might have a future Cy Young winner in 23-year-old Canadian Matt Brash, who is +2000 to win AL Rookie of the Year. Yes, he's 1-2 with a 6.88 ERA but has electric stuff. He got a win over the Astros on April 17, allowing two runs and two hits over 5.1 innings. Brash's main issue so far is walks: 13 in 17 innings.

Behind Verlander on the AL Cy Young odds are Cleveland's Shane Bieber (+700), the 2020 winner, Chicago's Dylan Cease (+700), New York's Gerrit Cole (+750), the favorite entering the season, and Toronto's Kevin Gausman (+800). The oldest pitcher to win a Cy Young was Roger Clemens at 42 in 2004.

When Houston beat Seattle on Tuesday, it was the 2,000th win in the career of Astros manager Dusty Baker. He became the 12th manager to reach that mark with 10 of the other 11 in the Hall of Fame. The lone exception is Bruce Bochy (2,003 wins), who is not yet eligible but will be in Cooperstown.

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