Five Early Favorites to Win the AL Cy Young Award

5. Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners

“King Felix” has been one of the best pitchers in the league since he made is debut with Seattle in 2005. Even as a rookie he posted a 2.67 ERA in 12 starts. Known for his devastating swing-and-miss changeup, Hernandez has took home the award once before in 2010, when he pitched to a 2.27 ERA in 34 starts, even though he went 13-12 that season.

King Felix has also finished in the top four in the voting on four separate occasions, proving that he is one of the elite pitchers that the MLB has to offer.

As of this season, you pretty much know what you’re going to get with the 11-year veteran. Felix Hernandez has a career ERA of 3.11 and has been named to the all-star team in six of the past seven seasons. Not only does he get hitters out, Felix usually blows them away.

In each of the past five seasons, he has posted a strikeout rate of 8.5 batters per every nine innings. It is hard to believe that Hernandez has been as dominant for as long as he has given that he will be only 29 years old when the 2016 season begins.

In 2015, while Hernandez was not as effective as he has been over the course of his career, he still had a very solid season. He posted a 3.53 ERA and was still able to maintain his strong strikeout numbers, finishing the year with the 20th most K’s in the entire league.

Another aspect of Felix’s game that cannot go unnoticed is his durability. He has made at least 30 starts a season every year since has was a rookie. Being able to go out and pitch on every fifth day consistently is something that should not be underestimated when deciding who the favorites are for the Cy Young.

Next season should see this veteran right-hander return to the dominant form that he has shown over his career in the major leagues. Even after a somewhat disappointing season for Hernandez in 2015, one should be cautious in betting against the production and consistency Hernandez has displayed over the years.

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Next: 4. David Price - Boston Red Sox