We’ve returned to the Cy Young rankings this week. For last week’s MVP review, click here. For the Rookie of the Year race the week before, click here. Next week we’ll return to the Rookie of the Year race. All stats are as of August 23rd. The number in brackets represents a player’s ranking on the last edition of this list.
Injuries have defined this year’s set of awards races. Major contenders for all three awards have fought off, or had their chances ruined by injuries. While the leaders in both leagues have clearly separated themselves from the pack, anything can happen with a month left in the season.
AL
1. (1.) Felix Hernandez, SEA: 13-4, 2.07 ERA, 204 K, 191 IP, 0.89 WHIP
Set to destroy nearly all of his career highs, the focus isn’t on whether King Felix can win his second Cy Young award, but whether he can win the MVP award. Perhaps the most astonishing feat of his season, however, is that Hernandez has yet to complete a game. In fact, his last complete game came almost two full years ago; a shutout of the Minnesota Twins on August 27, 2012. Regardless, he is allowing just a league best 6.4 H/9, striking out six batters for every walk and is head and shoulders above the next player on this list.
2. (3.) Corey Kluber, CLE: 13-7, 2.46 ERA, 205 K, 186.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP
Kluber spent years scuffling his way along in the minor leagues, battling control problems. He seemed to figure himself out last year, however, putting up solid numbers over 26 appearances, including 24 starts, posting a 3.85 ERA and an 8.3 K/9. He has built upon that success this season, as he has kept his walks down while missing more bats and keeping the ball in the ballpark. He has always had the stuff, and now he has put it all together.
3. (2.) Chris Sale, CWS: 10-3, 2.12 ERA, 158 K, 136 IP, 0.92 WHIP
Having missed a month of the season, Sale has faced a long, uphill battle for this award. His rate stats are extremely similar to those of Hernandez, but his massive innings deficit means that he has little chance of actually winning. Even so, Sale has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the American League, and has now improved his hit, walk and strikeout rates in each of his three seasons as a starter.
4. (-) David Price, TB/DET: 12-9, 3.00 ERA, 221 K, 201.1 IP, 1.00 WHIP
The shear volume of David Price’s numbers can no longer be ignored. He is on pace for 279 strikeouts, which would be the most since Randy Johnson in 2004. He has also allowed 23 home runs, the reason for his relatively high ERA given how few base runners he allows. The good news, however, is that after allowing 19 homers over his first 19 starts, he has allowed just four over his last eight. As such, he has trimmed his ERA almost half a run over that span.
5. (4.) Jon Lester, BOS/OAK: 13-8, 2.58 ERA, 174 K, 170.2 IP, 1.13 WHIP
At age 30, Jon Lester is enjoying the best season of his career. The reason? His 2.0 BB/9 stands a full point below his 3.1 career mark. He hasn’t been nearly as consistent with the Athletics than he was with the Red Sox, prior to his deadline trade. In three of his four starts for the A’s he has allowed three runs and pitched at least six innings, certainly good but not great, while in the fourth he threw a 3-hit shutout. He hasn’t been as dominant as King Felix, or pitched nearly as much as Price, but he is having a stellar season nonetheless.
Off the list –
5. Scott Kazmir
NL
1. (1.) Clayton Kershaw, LAD: 15-3, 1.82 ERA, 184 K, 153.1 IP, 0.83 WHIP
David Price is on pace to strike out 279 batters. Oover a full season, Kershaw would be on pace for an insane 298. His league leading 10.8 K/9 and his puny 1.2 BB/9 shatter his career highs, lofty praise for a pitcher with two Cy Young awards in his last three seasons. He has throw six complete games and has allowed more than one run in just seven of his 21 starts. To reiterate, Clayton Kershaw is allowing one run or fewer in TWO THIRDS OF HIS STARTS. He has pitched fewer than six innings just twice, and in one of those he allowed just one run in five innings, striking out 9.
2. (2.) Johnny Cueto, CIN: 15-7, 2.20 ERA, 191 K, 192.2 IP, 0.95 WHIP
Though nowhere near as dominant as Kershaw, Cueto’s numbers still speak for themselves. An MLB-best 6.0 H/9 along with an major increase in strikeouts has cemented his place among the NL’s best pitchers. While he has had a 2.61 ERA over the last three seasons, he has only pitched one full season in that span. He is clearly healthy now, though with his injury history and the way health has defined the awards races this season, he is far from safe.
3. (3.) Adam Wainwright, STL: 15-8, 2.52 ERA, 145 K, 182 IP, 1.04 WHIP
With a 5.29 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP so far in August, Wainwright’s Cy Young contention has taken a major hit. This should hardly have come as a surprise, however, a his 1.62 July ERA was backed by extremely poor rate stats. In his last 10 starts, he has struck out barely two batters for every walk, a far cry from his 4.77 mark through the first three months of the season, and the 6.26 rate he put up last season. If the Cardinals are already in panic mode, they certainly should be.
4. (-) Zack Greinke, LAD: 12-8, 2.75 ERA, 170 K, 157.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP
Zack Greinke’s career has been plagued by inconsistency. This season appears to be one of his better ones, as his 4.86 K/BB ratio is the best of his 11 year career. He appears to have found his groove with the Dodgers, as he now has a 2.69 ERA over the past two seasons, more than a full run better than the 3.83 mark he posted in the three seasons succeeding his 2009 Cy Young award.
5. (-) Cole Hamels, PHI: 7-6, 2.53 ERA, 153 K, 156.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP
Hamels didn’t make his first start this season until April 23rd. After a rocky first three starts, Hamels has been excellent over his last 20 turns, posting a 2.00 ERA and failing to pitch seven innings just three times. His relatively high 3.60 ERA last season appeared flukey, as his rate stats were almost completely in line with his career norms. That variance has perhaps swung the other way this season, as again he is pitching right at his career rates, but with a career best ERA.
Off the list –
4. Julio Teheran
5. Tyson Ross
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
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