MLB Betting: American League Reliever of the Year
The Orioles won a lot of hardware last season, including Reliever of the Year, thanks to Felix Bautista's breakout performance. He is hurt though so instead of back-to-back wins we will have a new winner this season, maybe.
I say maybe because the Guardians' Emmanuel Clase and Josh Hader, now with the Houston Astros, are past winners of the award. Hader is the favorite at +500 and has the advantage of playing for a quality team and a little less familiarity from switching leagues, which I like.
American League Reliever of the Year Futures
Josh Hader, Houston Astros +500
This award was launched in 2014 and Hader is the only player to win it three times, all in the NL with Milwaukee. One of those was not last year, but he was just as dominant as ever with San Diego. That made him a hot commodity in free agency and Houston bit, they are paying him $19 million a season over the next five years. Look for him to be just as good if not better on a team that will give him a lot of chances to put up good numbers.
Jhoan Duran, Minnesota Twins, +650
Durant went from a setup role to closing for Minnesota and showed no decline in his dominance. That is a good sign for the Twins and for this bet. The only red flag is that his innings dropped a little and that might be a sign that the Twins are being extra careful with him. Minnesota is a good team though so getting above that 30-save plateau seems very logical. Duran has a big body which should mean less injury risk.
Jordan Romano, Toronto Blue Jays, +1000
This is a bet saying you believe in the Jays as much as Romano. The lanky righty has been Toronto's closer for three seasons now, posting good save totals. If you think the Jays are going to be an afterthought then pass here too but this might be a sneaky way of betting on their success as you can get a 10/1 payoff while they are just +400 to win the American League East. He might even win the award without that team accomplishment happening.
Craig Kimbrel, Baltimore Orioles, +1800
Similar to above, if you like the Baltimore Orioles, Kimbrel to win this award is a great high-value play. Their closer won it last year as the team broke 100 wins and Kimbrel's best days do not look like they are behind him. He has won this award in both leagues too. Last year with Philadelphia he pitched his most innings since 2017 and there is no reason for Baltimore to hold back as long as he is performing.
Alex Lange, Detroit Tigers +2500
The Tigers are not going to bust through and make the playoffs this season but I do expect them to be more competitive and post a record around .500. Playing for Detroit, Lange is not a popular name but he has the role and there is no reason he can't break the 30-save mark this season. Similar to a couple of bets above this one goes hand in hand with team success. Usually, the winner of this one is on a team that is in contention.
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