We’ve returned to the Cy Young race once again. For last week’s MVP review, click here. For the Rookie of the Year race the week before, click here. All stats are as of June 12th. The number in brackets represents a player’s ranking on the last review.
Masahiro Tanaka’s elbow injury is as disappointing as it gets. All sports injuries are awful, but a young player in the middle of a historic season hurts the most. Tommy John surgery seems all bit imminent, so here’s to a speedy recovery for one of the most exciting players in baseball.
His injury does, however, open the door to Chris Sale. He and two-time winner Clayton Kershaw are doing all they can to make up for major innings deficits by being the most dominant pitchers in each league.
AL – King Felix ascends to the throne
1. (2. ) Felix Hernandez, SEA: 11-2, 2.12 ERA, 154 K, 144.1 IP, 0.90 WHIP
It boggles the mind that King Felix, in his tenth major league season, is still just 28 years old. Thus, in the middle of his prime, he is putting up his best season yet, poised to win his second Cy Young award. Hernandez has not pitched fewer than seven innings or given up more than two runs in eleven straight starts, going 7-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 94 Ks in 85 innings during that span. He is set to shattered his already lofty career bests in almost every meaningful category and, with Tanaka out and a 50-inning lead on Chris Sale, sit well in the lead for this award.
2. (-) Garrett Richards, LAA: 11-2, 2.55 ERA, 127 K, 123.1 IP, 1.06 WHIP
Since the beginning of June, Garrett Richards has gone 7-0 with a 1.27 ERA. Averaging an insane 96.2 mph on his fastball, Richards had all the potential in the world if he could get harness his control and develop some secondary pitches. This season, he has done exactly that. Though his 3.1 BB/9 is high, indeed higher than the 2.7 mark he put up in 145 innings last season, his 9.3 K/9 and 6.4 H/9 show he is locating his pitches much better. Leading the league in wild pitches, with 17, he has been the definition of “effectively wild”.
3. (-) Jon Lester, BOS: 9-7, 2.65 ERA, 134 K, 129 IP, 1.14 WHIP
After two years of brutal inconsistency, Jon Lester has returned to his 2008-2011 form. Hampered by three very poor starts, Lester has excelled all year. His biggest improvement has been his control, which at 2.0 BB/9, is a full point lower than his 3.1 career mark and his 4.62 K/BB is by far his best showing. He has not been as dominant as Hernandez, Richards or Sale, but his consistent excellence has made him one of the best pitchers in the American League.
4. (4.) Scott Kazmir, OAK: 11-3, 2.38 ERA, 108 K, 117.1 IP, 0.98 WHIP
The only think missing in Kazmir’s amazing comeback was the strikeouts. He led the league with 239 in 2007 and from 2005-2008 posted a 9.7 K/9, the best rate in the majors. After striking out just 45 in his first 59.1 innings through his first nine starts, Kazmir has punched out 63 over 54.2 innings in his last nine. Doing so while keeping his career best hit and walk rates down has kept him as the surprising ace of the A’s staff.
5. (-) Chris Sale, CWS: 8-1, 2.08 ERA, 102 K, 95 IP, 0.84 WHIP
Missing five starts with an elbow injury is the only thing keeping Sale this low on the list. His league-best 6.1 H/9, stellar 1.5 BB/9 and 9.7 K/9, as well as the bold-faced stats above all point to Sale being the most dominant pitcher in the AL. Still, he’s thrown just two-thirds the innings King Felix has, so he faces a long uphill battle if he hopes to win this award.
Off the list –
(1.) Masahiro Tanaka
(3.) Yu Darvish
(5.) Mark Buehrle
NL – The Wainwright Stuff
1. (2.) Adam Wainwright, STL: 11-4, 1.79 ERA, 111 K, 131 IP, 0.92 WHIP
Wainwright and Cueto have traded spots here all season, and this week is perhaps the closest they’ve ever been. Cueto has struck out far more, given up fewer hits and pitched more innings but Wainwright has allowed fewer walks and home runs and has thrown half his starts without allowing a single run. That number is astonishing, and speaks volumes to Wainwright’s consistent excellence.
2. (1.) Johnny Cueto, CIN: 9-6, 2.03 ERA, 134 K, 137.2 IP, 0.88 WHIP
Cueto is in second this week largely as a result of having made “just” four starts without allowing a run, in contrast to Wainwright’s nine. He has also conceded his league-lead in WHIP to the surging Clayton Kershaw, though his 5.8 H/9 is still the best mark in the majors. If he can stay healthy, a major concern as he has battled injuries for two of his last three seasons, he should continue his career year and his back-and-forth with Wainwright.
3. (3.) Julio Teheran, ATL: 8-6, 2.57 ERA, 110 K, 129.1 IP, 1.03 WHIP
Teheran was awful his last time out, allowing 11 hits and five runs in just 3.1 innings. While the outing ballooned with ERA and WHIP, his overall numbers having still be excellent. Having improved in just about every area from his rookie year last season, the 23-year-old has all the potential in the world. The best may be yet to come, and he looks like he will be a perennial contender for this award.
4. (-) Clayton Kershaw, LAD: 11-2, 1.78 ERA, 126 K, 96.1 IP, 0.83 WHIP
Speaking of perennial contenders, it’s rare to see Kershaw so low on this list, as he has finished 1st-2nd-1st in each of the last three seasons. Back issues had him miss the entire month of April, but, save a seven-run blowup on May 17, he has been hands down the best pitcher in the majors since his return. His June 18th no-hitter, in which he K’d 15, walked none stands as one of the best pitching performances of all time. Kershaw has unquestionably been the best pitcher in the majors over the last four seasons and if he keeps up his dominance, he could overcome his 30-inning deficit and challenge for his third Cy Young.
5. (-) Josh Beckett, LAD: 6-5, 2.26 ERA, 95 K, 103.2 IP, 1.03 WHIP
Like his teammate Kershaw, Beckett has also thrown a no-hitter this season. That outing has been the highlight of a great comeback season for the 34-year-old veteran, who has been the poster child for inconsistency throughout with career. He won 20 games in 2007 and finished second in Cy Young voting, but that season was sandwiched between a 2006 in which he posted a 5.01 ERA and an injury-plagued, much less effective 2008. Still, if he continues to miss bats, this season could prove his best yet.
Off the list –
4. Tim Hudson
5. Zack Greinke
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
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