ERA, strikeouts, innings pitched, WHIP and more go into deciding the Cy Young award candidates each season. Starting pitching is arguably the most important aspect of a team's success, which is why the winner of the Cy Young also tends to get some MVP votes. In fact, a few Cy Young Award winners have also won the MVP, most recently Clayton Kershaw in 2014.

Milwaukee Brewers starter Corbin Burnes led the NL in ERA in 2021 en route to his first Cy Young award -- one that was all but locked in for New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom to win after starting the season on an all-time pace. However, an injury ended deGrom's season prematurely and opened the door for Burnes.

The Milwaukee right-hander finds himself in the mix once again and is listed among the favorites through first half of the season. However, as we saw just a year ago, things can change in a hurry, so this race is far from over.

Here are some of the odds to win the NL Cy Young award:

• Sandy Alcantara (-130)

• Corbin Burnes (+700)

• Joe Musgrove (+1400)

• Tony Gonsolin (+1500)

• Max Fried (+1600)

Alcantara has emerged as one of baseball's best pitchers and was rewarded with a spot in the All-Star game. The Marlins don't have the biggest fanbase in the league, so Alcantara may have flown under the radar a bit longer than others. However, batters and baseball fans are now well aware of who Alcantara is and just how good he is on the mound.

It's no surprise to see the reigning NL Cy Young award winner toward the top of this list as Burnes is putting together another strong season in Milwaukee. Musgrove is anchoring the Padres rotation and will likely play a big part in whether San Diego makes the postseason. Likewise, Gonsolin and Fried have remained toward the top of this list throughout the first half of the season and given that they play for two of the best teams in the National League, it's safe to say we'll see them both take the mound in some high-profile games down the stretch.