Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Zac Gallen +550 odds to win Cy Young award

Originally posted on Burn City Sports | By Jacob Hardin | Last updated 4/22/23

After a rather impressive past couple of starts, Diamondbacks’ ace Zac Gallen has jumped to second in the Cy Young odds.

Last year, Gallen finished fifth in CY Young voting as he posted a 2.54 ERA along with 192 strikeouts in 184 innings pitched.

Now, the 27-year-old has picked up right where he left off, leading the league with 39 strikeouts and three-straight shutouts. Gallen currently holds a 21.2 scoreless inning streak. In his past three starts, the Diamondbacks have won 3-0, 5-0, and 9-0.

Zac Gallen threw 7 shutout innings and struck out 11 in his win tonight!

He hasn't given up a run in his last 21.2 IP pic.twitter.com/0K0VwkjitO

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 22, 2023

This is a massive boost from how his first two starts went. Gallen actually began the season on a bit of a rough note, allowing five runs in 4.2 innings on opening day and then five runs in six innings in his second outing.

But, the D-backs’ ace has been absolutely lights out since. He is now only behind the Braves’ Spencer Strider with +550 odds to take home the Cy Young award at the end of the season, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

This strong emergence as one of the league’s best pitchers has played a large role in the Diamondbacks early success this year. Despite being up against a challenging schedule early on, Arizona holds the top spot in the NL West with a 12-9 record.

The Diamondbacks will have a chance to improve upon this record with Merrill Kelly on the mound against the San Diego Padres. First pitch is at 5:10.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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