CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
Entering the 2021 MLB season, Shane Bieber laid claim to the second-best odds of winning the American League Cy Young Award, trailing only Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees -- and for good reason. After all, it was just last season that the Cleveland Indians' ace won the 2020 edition of the award after winning the first pitching Triple Crown since Justin Verlander in 2011.
But while the +400 Cy Young odds that Bieber entered the season with initially seemed like a fair value, it didn't take long for them to become outdated. Less than two weeks into the 2021 campaign, the 2019 MLB All-Star Game MVP now just barely trails Cole (+350), with Bieber's odds having shrunk to +375, according to BetMGM (via VegasInsider).
Don't expect those odds to stay there for long.
While Bieber may not officially be the American League Cy Young Award frontrunner at the moment, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him achieve such status soon. In what marked his third start of the season on Tuesday, the right-hander tallied 11 strikeouts in nine scoreless innings in Cleveland's 2-0 10-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Bieber's spectacular showing on Tuesday marked the third time in as many starts this season that he's reached double-digit strikeouts. And while it's an admittedly small sample size, it's worth noting that he currently leads the Major Leagues in both strikeouts (35) and innings pitched (21.1).
As for Cole, the three-time All-Star has been impressive in his own right this season, posting a 2-0 record and 1.47 ERA through his first three starts. Playing alongside an offense better equipped to provide run support, perhaps it makes sense that Cole has maintained his frontrunner status. But if Bieber's first three starts are any indication, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner won't be fading from the race any time soon.