Despite Playoff Potential, A's And Giants Seen As Longshots For Postseason Awards
OAKLAND (CBS SF) - The Oakland A's still boast the best record in baseball. The Giants trial only the Dodgers in the National League standings, so you'd expect local ballplayers to be in the hunt for the major postseason awards, but you'd be wrong.
Not a single Giant appears likely to get a significant number of votes for National League Most Valuable Player, according to gaming website Bovada, which also lists fellow Dodger Yasiel Puig, Brewers Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez as well as Miami's Giancarlo Stanton as possible winners. No Giant has better than a 33/1 chance to win it.
On the American League side, Josh Donaldson is in the mix at 20/1, but trails Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Jose Abreu, Robinson Cano and Michael Brantley in the current Bovada odds. No other Athletic is better than a 33/1 bet.
On the pitching side, the A's have a slightly better chance at landing the Cy Young, with young ace Sonny Gray a 7/1 bet and veteran Scott Kazmir listed as a 15/1 play, but even Gray trails Felix Hernandez (9/4), Chris Sale (3/1), Max Scherzer (6/1) and Corey Kluber (7/1).
In the National League Kershaw is seen as a strong 2/7 favorite over teammate Zack Greinke (25/1) Adam Wainwright of the Cards (5/1) and Johnny Cueto of the Reds (5/1). Madison Bumgarner is the lone Giant even offered as a postseason award winner, but he's facing 50/1 odds.
For the Giants, Buster Posey last one the MVP in 2012. Tim Lincecum won two consecutive Cy Young awards in 2008 and 2009.
The last member of the A's to win the Cy Young was Barry Zito in 2002, the same year Miguel Tejada won their last Most Valuable Player award.
