It finally happened — the captain of the Yankees has suffered an injury. I have said all summer that it is his award to lose, barring injury. Now that Aaron Judge is dealing with a right flexor strain and has landed on the 10-day IL, the door cracks open just slightly. If that is all the time he misses, do I think it derails his chances? No. If you believe this is only a minor setback, then even money on the clear AL MVP is the best value you will find for the rest of the season.
I have also said for weeks that Cal Raleigh's price has offered no value. He is having a tremendous year and just hit his 41st home run. Still, I think regression is due. Pitchers will start working around him again — just like they did leading into the All-Star break. The grind will catch up, especially after catching nearly every game this summer.
Who Has Value?
Despite Detroit's struggles, I still believe Tarik Skubal offers serious value at 40/1. On Saturday, he tossed another gem: six scoreless innings, five hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts against a red-hot Blue Jays team. Once the bullpen took over, everything fell apart in a 6-1 loss.
Skubal remains the anchor of that team. He gives the offense a chance to do the bare minimum and still win, and he shuts down any lingering bad momentum in the clubhouse.
Looking ahead, August sets up perfectly. He is likely to pitch in the upcoming Phillies series in Philadelphia. After that, a weekend set at home against the Angels. Then a road start against either the White Sox or Twins. From there, home against either the Astros or Royals, and to end the month, a road matchup with the Athletics or Royals again.
That is a healthy mix of beatable teams and résumé-builders.
At 40/1, I believe he is mispriced and closer to winning the award than Raleigh.
