1. Max Scherzer – 16 GS, 9-6, 1.82, 139, 4.71 WAR
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If not for Scherzer’s June, Greinke might still have held down the No. 1 spot for this instalment.
The Washington Nationals ace has been virtually un-hittable as of late. His final three June outings produced three wins, two shutouts, a one-hitter and a no-hitter which narrowly could have been a perfect game if not for a plunked batter in the ninth inning with two outs.
Scherzer has carried a no-no into the sixth inning or later in three of his last four starts. His ERA on June 9 was 2.13 and it’s now at 1.82. It’s no shock that both of last year’s Cy Young winners in Clayton Kershaw and Corey Kluber both led their respective leagues in FIP. As it stands now, Scherzer’s 1.93 is king of that category across the entire Majors with Chris Sale trailing him in the AL owning a 2.08 mark.
If anyone in either league is going to win a pitching Triple Crown, it should be Scherzer judging by how things stand now. And for any manager not named Matt Williams, Scherzer is public enemy No. 1 to that opposition’s offense.