Paul Skenes is having a sensational rookie season. The former LSU standout has logged 92 innings over 15 games, owning a 2.25 ERA and 0.957 WHIP while striking out 115 batters.

Saturday Down South has kept an eye on betting data from BetMGM since Skenes got the call up to the big leagues on May 8. By June 25, Skenes had the top odds at BetMGM to win NL Rookie of the Year.

BetMGM now has Skenes priced at -1400 to win NL ROTY. At current odds, it would take a $1400 wager to win $100 for a $1500 payout. Back when BetMGM began taking bets on the 2024 NL ROTY, Skenes opened at +1300. Early Skenes bettors could be cashing in big time, as a winning $100 wager at +1300 would produce a $1400 payout.

Taking a look at BetMGM’s latest betting data for the award, shared Monday, it’s all Skenes.

NL Rookie of the Year betting at BetMGM

  • Highest Ticket%: Paul Skenes 20.1%
  • Highest Handle%: Paul Skenes 28.6%
  • Biggest Liability for the book: Paul Skenes
  • Odds leader: Paul Skenes -1400

Rookie of the Year may not be the only award for Skenes. He has become a popular betting pick to be the NL’s Cy Young.

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Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale is BetMGM’s current favorite to win the award, but the bettors are high on Skenes, who has odds of +300 for the award given to the NL’s top pitcher.

NL Cy Young betting at BetMGM

  • Highest Ticket%: Paul Skenes 16.2%
  • Highest Handle%: Paul Skenes 19.9%
  • Biggest Liability: Paul Skenes
  • Odds leader: Chris Sale -105

Only seven rookies have ever won the Cy Young award: Dwight Gooden, Don Newcombe, Tom Seaver, Rick Sutcliffe, Fernando Valenzuela, Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom. While it’s an exclusive club, Skenes’ rookie status may not be his biggest concern when it comes to his Cy Young chances.

Earlier this month, Matt Snyder of CBS Sports looked into Skenes’ Cy Young chances. He noted that Skenes’ workload will be a topic of debate.

By not making his first start until May, Skenes missed out on quite a few starts. Logan Webb leads the NL in innings with 157. Sale, meanwhile, has 127.2 IP, which is 19th-most in the league as the Braves have tried to give their starters extra rest when possible.

Snyder points out that only 5 Cy Young winners of the last 15 years (aside from the 2020 COVID season) came in at under 200 innings for the season. Corbin Burnes in 2021 had 167 IP.

No one knows exactly where Skenes will land on his final innings number for the season, but he’s likely looking at 10 more starts for the rest of the season, which could see him finish closer to 150.

Skenes would need to hit the 162 IP threshold to qualify for the ERA title (1 IP per every team game). Among qualifiers, Sale is the clubhouse leader with a 2.75 ERA. Voters, though, are sure to keep in mind that Skenes is half a point lower at 2.25.

It’s setting up to be an exciting race. We’ll see if the bettors or the oddsmakers are right about who wins the NL Cy Young.

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