MLB Awards Watch: Top 5 NL Cy Young candidates through April

In terms of the MLB awards race, the first month of the season was a wild one for the National League with blowouts, comebacks, debuts, no-hitters and even near-no-hitters.  With all the money that went out this off-season to pitching, elite starters are as valuable as any position on the field.

Young pitching is pushing the old guard for the top of these ranks, with guys like Aaron Nola excelling in their first full season, while former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke struggles to find consistency in his new home. Greinke pitched to a 5.50 ERA through the end of April, a far cry from the sparkling 1.66 mark he finished last season with.

This is our list of the Top 5 candidates for the NL Cy Young award through April. It has both familiar faces and brand new combatants in the mix. All stats are current through games played on May 2.

Next: Honorable Mentions

• Jason Hammel was the National League ERA leader through the end of April, only allowing two runs across his 24 innings of work. While his pitching has been almost perfect for the NL Central leading Cubs, he ranks 35th in strikeouts. As the season goes on, if he can continue this he’ll obviously jump into the mix.
• After Johnny Cueto fell apart down the stretch for the Kansas City Royals following last seasons trade from the Cincinnati Reds, many teams were apprehensive about commiting long term to the 30-year-old. The Giants took the leap, and have been rewarded so far. Cueto went 4-1 in April with a 2.65 ERA.
• Carlos Martinez has started right where he left off after being shut down late last season with a shoulder injury. His 4-1 record with a 2.60 ERA has led the Cardinals while Adam Wainwright has struggled. Recently, news broke about a domestic violence case that has been brought against Martinez, throwing some dirt on his shiny start to the season.

Related Story: Top 5 AL Cy Young candidates thru April

• Lefty Gio Gonzalez was brilliant through five starts, carrying a 1.15 ERA through the end of the month. His low strikeout numbers will hurt him, as will the 2-1 record.
• Japanese-import Kenta Maeda got off to a great start in his first four outings, making Dodgers fans forget about Zack Greinke very quickly.  His 1.41 ERA through April was the best on the Dodgers.  His incentive-laden contract looks like it will still be a huge steal for a team that doesn’t need any financial help.

Next: Number 5

5. Vince Velasquez – PHI

4-1, 31.1 IP, 1.44 ERA, 2.46 FIP, 10 BB, 39 K, 0.9 fWAR

When the Astros dealt Vincent Velasquez this offseason in a massive package for right handed reliever Ken Giles, they thought they were dealing a good, but not great, starting pitcher who had the talent to be a number three guy in a few years if he put it all together.  After all, he’d never ranked higher than No. 75 on a prospect list, and Baseball America left him off their pre-2015 list entirely.

Instead, Velasquez has become the Phillies’ ace immediately, going 4-1 for the upstart club and striking out 39 batters in his 31.1 innings.  For his part, Giles has struggled in Houston, being torched for 10 runs in his first 10 innings.

Velasquez has run his fastball up to 98 mph this year and has touched 100 in the past. His average velocity ranks 6th in the NL, sitting at a healthy 94.3 mph. His ability to pile up strikeouts with the fastball-curve combo will let him continue his pursuit of the Cy, in just his first full season as a Major Leaguer.  At 23-years-old, Velasquez pairs with Aaron Nola to give the Phillies a lot to like in their young rotation.

Next: Number 4

4. Stephen Strasburg – WAS

4-0, 36 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.87 FIP, 8 BB, 40 K, 1.4 fWAR

Is this finally the year that Stephen Strasburg wins the Cy Young? The Nationals’ right-hander has always been thought of as a contender, but has never been able to put together a full season of dominance.  He came closest in 2014 when he threw 215 innings and led the league with 242 strikeouts, but came in 9th in voting as Clayton Kershaw took the award unanimously.

This year he’s out to prove that he can put it all together. It also happens to be his walk-year, and it’s perfect timing for Strasburg to be throwing like this.  He went 4-0 in April, and tied for the league lead in strikeouts.  He only allowed one home run, and 28 hits.

Strasburg has to prove he can stay healthy, but if he does, he has a great shot at the Cy Young this season.  If he can, he’ll go into free agency at 28 looking to score a gigantic contract.

Next: Number 3

3. Noah Syndergaard – NYM

2-1, 32.1 IP, 2.51 ERA, 1.40 FIP, 6 BB, 44 K, 1.5 fWAR

The New York Mets have an outstanding pitching staff. Combined, the starters went 12-5 in April with a 2.81 ERA. Leading the way was Noah Syndergaard – affectionately known as Thor – who pitched brilliantly in four starts.  He was fourth in the league in strikeouts, despite starting one fewer game than the rest of the leaders, and walked only four batters all month.

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Another 23-year old, Syndergaard came over from the Blue Jays with Travis d’Arnaud for former Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey.  He’s picked up right where Dickey left off, and has a real shot at the award this season.

Syndergaard has hit 101 mph with both of his fastballs – easily leading the league in average velocity – and has touched 95 mph with his slider. His arsenal is almost untouchable, and now that he can command it, watch out.

Lighting up radar guns isn’t all the young Mets hurler can do, as he’s already worked two walks in his eight plate appearances. After hitting .209 last year, he could have a Silver Slugger in his future as well.

Next: Number 2

2. Clayton Kershaw – LAD

3-1, 46 IP, 1.96 ERA, 3 BB, 54 K, 1.2 fWAR

An NL Cy Young list wouldn’t be complete without Kershaw.  The Dodgers’ left-hander (and only southpaw on this list) has been in the top 3 in Cy Young voting for five consecutive years, winning three times.  He also added an MVP award to his mantle in 2014.

In April, Kershaw was his usual dominant self, leading the league in both strikeouts and walks. He basically had just a single bad inning all month, allowing five of his ten runs in the 6th inning of his April 26th start versus Miami. In the other six innings he pitched of that game, he allowed just two hits and struck out ten batters.

Kershaw’s 2-1 record drops him to second on this list, but it won’t last that long.  He will be battling for the number 1 spot all season, almost a guarantee to extend his Cy Young streak to six straight top 3 finishes. Kershaw started off May on the same note, throwing a three-hit complete game shutout against the Padres in which he struck out 14.

Next: Number 1