MLB Awards Watch: Top 5 AL Cy Young candidates thru April

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

With month one of six in the books for Major League Baseball’s regular season, let’s have a look at who the front-runners are to follow up the Cleveland Indians unexpected 2014 Cy Young winner in the American League.

Corey Kluber came from relative anonymity to win over more voters of the BBWAA than Felix Hernandez could muster in 2015. For as strong and steady as King Felix was throughout all of 2014, it was Kluber’s second half that put him in a position to win pitching’s most coveted award. Kluber carried a 9-3 record with a 1.73 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and a 6.63 K:BB ratio after the Midsummer Classic for the Tribe.

In 2015, the conversation has shifted some. Kluber and the defense behind him are struggling. A few of names who will appear on this list would not have been in the conversation at this same time last season.

In the month of April from the 2014 season, 1,706 runs were scored by American League ball clubs. This year, with one full day of baseball left to be played in April, 1,510 runs have been scored. But last year, Opening Day was on March 30 — compared to April 6 this year — and the 15 AL clubs combined for 384 total games played in the month. That works out to an average of 4.44 runs scored per game last April.

In 2015 offensive output is on the rise. Through April 29, AL teams have played 316 total games. But the average runs scored per game has risen to 4.77. These five pitchers are doing their best to not let opposing hitters get the better of them.

Honorable mentions: OAK Scott Kazmir (2-0, 0.99, 30 K) and DET Alfredo Simon (4-0, 1.65, 15 K)

Next: Andrew Miller