Matthew Boyd versus the Los Angeles Angels
Matthew Boyd threw another gem in Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels. Boyd pitched six innings, giving up one earned run on a solo home run in the first inning. He struck out six and walked none on the night. He allowed only three hits and struck out the former American League MVP Mike Trout twice. Trout ended up going 0-4 with three strikeouts. The Detroit Tigers won 10-3 behind Boyd’s dominant performance. Boyd is now 4-2 on the season through eight starts.
Cy Young Case for Matthew Boyd
Matthew Boyd has now thrown seven quality starts in row. He has allowed three or less earned runs in all of his eight starts on the young season. In his last seven starts, he has gone at least six innings. Matthew Boyd has filthy stuff shown through his 14.5% swinging strike rate and 11.26 K/9. He ranks third and eighth in the American League in those stats. Boyd’s WHIP of 0.96 ranks sixth in the American League and ninth overall. His ERA is 2.86 — 12th in the American League and 24th in all of baseball, and his FIP of 2.30 is the best in the AL. (All rankings are among starting pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched.)
Boyd’s sabermetrics show he can continue this type of success all season long. His FIP statistic indicates that when the season is over, he will probably be in the top 10, if not leading the league in ERA. Also, he seems like a good bet to finish in the top 10 in WHIP because of his BABIP of .275. He also walks batters at a 1.97 BB/9 rate and his 0.54 HR/9 shows he limits his mistakes. Boyd’s wOBA of .245 shows he can finish in the top 10 in ERA and WHIP.
Final Claim
Matthew Boyd has emerged as the ace for the Detroit Tigers. Boyd is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He gives the Tigers a chance to win every time he hits the mound every fifth game and will be in the Cy Young award discussion all season long. The numbers indicate he can continue to limit his mistakes and dominates the strike the zone. His next expected start is Monday versus the Houston Astros.
Competition for Matthew Boyd
Matthew Boyd is a top contender for the AL Cy Young Award this season, but he has some stiff competition. Boyd’s biggest competitor for the AL Cy Young Award right now is Tyler Glasnow of the Tampa Bay Rays, who boasts a 6-0 record with a 1.47 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and a 9.63 K/9. Another top Cy Young contender is Glasnow’s teammate Charlie Morton, who is 3-0 with a 2.64 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and 11.37 K/9. Justin Verlander, who is always in contention, is 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 10.73 K/9 for the Astros. Rounding out the top 5 current Cy Young contenders is Jose Berrios of the Minnesota Twins, who is 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 8.61 K/9. James Paxton of the New York Yankees, Jake Odorizzi of the Twins, Mike Minor of the Texas Rangers, Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians, and Domingo German of the Yankees round out the current top 10 AL Cy Young candidates based on wins and losses, ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine (K/9).
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