Can Bossier’s Seth Lugo Climb Back Into the Cy Young Conversation?

Since the baseball pre-season, I've been telling everyone that would listen that former Parkway Panther & Centenary Gent Seth Lugo was going to have a really good year.

• A - I thought the Royals were a really good ball club that fit his style.
• B - I think after a 'transition year' moving from the bullpen to starter, he was going to be more dialed in.

And, if you ask me (or probably Seth for that matter) this year has probably gone better than anticipated. For a good chunk of the season he's led or been near the top of the leaderboard in several statistical categories. He's looked great on the bump. His curve, which has always been good, has been devastating this year. I mean...he's been great for the Royals.

However, his chances of winning the Cy Young in the American League has been slipping a bit. Since the All-Star Break (the first All Star appearance of his career), Seth has been a little shaky. BUT, there's still a lot of stuff to be proud of.

How Are Seth Lugo's Cy Young Chances Currently?

With a little over a month to go, I think he's currently out of contention. While Tarik Skubal and Corbin Burnes have been consistent, Seth has not. In his 6 starts since the All-Star game, he's turned in two of his best starts of the year (going 9 against the White Sox & 8 against the Tigers). Unfortunately, he's also had 3 or 4 of his worst starts of the year - where got absolutely hammered by the Twins, Cubs and Red Sox.

With all that said, depending on how they manage the rotation down the stretch, Seth still has the chance to make 4-6 starts before the season ends. The Tigers have already announced that they'll be limiting Skubal's innings and outings moving forward. So, there's definitely the opportunity to make up some ground if he pitches well.

Odds Seth Lugo Wins the Cy Young

As mentioned above, he's had an inconsistent second half - he's either been really good or getting shelled. So, his odds to win have dropped dramatically. At one point, he was top 3 in the odds.

According to FOX Sports, while he's only dropped two spots, the gap has widened considerably. Right now, he's +4700 to win. Compared to Tarik Skubal who is -1887 or Burnes who is in second at +950.

But, odds shift consistently and it's going to come down to how he finishes out the season. If he goes on another run of 4 or 5 quality starts, he could be right back in the race. Time will tell how it'll all play out over the next month and a half.