LOS ANGELES — Less than a week into the 2026 MLB season, the National League Cy Young race is already shifting — and the Los Angeles Dodgers are right in the middle of it.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has emerged as one of the early favorites, listed at 11/2 (+550) odds at BetOnline.ag, placing him firmly among the top contenders for the award. Yamamoto’s presence highlights the Dodgers’ remarkable pitching depth, with four of their starters appearing on the odds board.
Joining Yamamoto are Blake Snell (33/1), Tyler Glasnow (40/1) and Shohei Ohtani (28/1), giving Los Angeles more representation than any other team among the early Cy Young candidates, according to BetOnline.
The early movement at the top of the odds reflects how volatile the race can be. Paul Skenes, who won the 2025 NL Cy Young Award in his first full season, opened as a heavy favorite to repeat. But his first start of the season quickly changed the outlook.
Skenes allowed five earned runs while recording just two outs, leaving him with a staggering 67.5 ERA after one outing. Even a dominant bounce-back performance would leave his ERA significantly inflated in the early going.
That stumble opened the door for Cristopher Sanchez, last year’s Cy Young runner-up, who capitalized with six shutout innings, no walks and 10 strikeouts in his season debut. Sanchez now sits atop the board as the new favorite at 3/1, followed by Skenes at 4/1.
Yamamoto’s positioning just behind them underscores both his expectations and the Dodgers’ standing as a pitching powerhouse. The right-hander entered the season with high expectations after showing flashes of dominance and continues to be viewed as a potential ace in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers’ quartet on the list reflects not only star power but depth, giving them multiple legitimate Cy Young candidates as the season unfolds. With Ohtani’s two-way profile, Snell’s past Cy Young pedigree, and Glasnow’s elite strikeout ability, Los Angeles has assembled one of the most formidable rotations in baseball.
While it’s still early and odds remain fluid, the first week of the season has already reshaped the race — and positioned the Dodgers as a central storyline in the battle for the National League’s top pitching honor.