Jacob deGrom favored to win NL MVP and Cy Young awards

Jacob deGrom has dominated opposing offenses in 2021.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner is in line to add a third such trophy, and he has also emerged as the betting favorite in the race for National League Most Valuable Player.

DeGrom has been hammered down to +115 in MVP betting. The New York Mets ace has posted a 0.95 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts in just 85 innings. Add in a 7-2 record, and that his efforts have helped spur the Mets to a surprising spot atop the NL East, and it's clear why he is the favorite.

But pitchers generally don’t win MVP. After Bob Gibson won the NL honor in 1968, it wasn’t until 2014 that another senior circuit pitcher took home the award, and Clayton Kershaw went 21-3, with a 1.77 ERA, to get there. American League pitchers have fared slightly better, as Justin Verlander won in 2011, Dennis Eckersley earned it in 1992, and three junior circuit hurlers won the award during the 1980s.

In order to beat out position players who are in the lineup almost every day, pitchers who appear once a week need to be extraordinary. It's clear deGrom has achieved that level of production, but if you’re betting on the MVP race, there are some lucrative alternatives.

The Mets are far from in the clear in the race for a playoff spot. The surging Washington Nationals are just two games back, and if New York falls out of the division lead, it could hurt deGrom’s chances.

Several offensive stars have also woken up and are poised for big second halves of the season.

Ronald Acuna Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. were thought of as MVP candidates at the start of the year and remain dangerous, but perhaps the biggest name to watch is Kyle Schwarber, who swatted 16 home runs in June and has been a vital part of Washington’s recent run.

Can deGrom win NL MVP? For sure. However, +115 is way too short at this point of the season, especially given Schwarber’s recent offensive explosion and New York’s shaky hold on the division lead.