MLB Awards Watch: Top 5 AL Cy Young candidates through July

5. Felix Hernandez

Jul 29, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

King Felix is no stranger to the AL Cy Young race, and he once again finds himself right in the thick of it with two months to go. On a Mariners team currently eight games below .500, Felix Hernandez has racked up an AL-best 13 victories. He sports a 3.13 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 3.41 K/BB ratio through 143.2 innings on the season. His 3.7 WAR is fourth among AL pitchers.

July was a fairly good month for Hernandez, who posted a 2.94 ERA in five starts. That includes a clunker of an outing on July 29 against Arizona (6.2 IP, 7 ER), which if removed lowers his ERA for the month to 1.33.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Hernandez is that he hasn’t lost much effectiveness despite working with somewhat diminished stuff. His fastball sits at around 92 mph now, down from 95+ in his earlier days. He now features his changeup and sinker more, to very positive results.

Next: Pitcher #4