Even though it’s early in the 2017 MLB season, the Cy Young award in both leagues is still being discussed. Who would get it if the season ended today?
The grass is still fresh on the 2017 MLB season. Though beginning to fade, the feeling of a new season is still there and the excitement has not yet been replaced with the grind. The dog days of summer are getting closer, but are still far enough away. Yet even though the season is still fresh, there have been a lot of storylines.
Aaron Judge has burst onto the scene alongside the rejuvenated New York Yankees. The Minnesota Twins have staved off the much more powerful Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers to hold on to first place in the AL Central. The Houston Astros are a team reborn with their play thus far, which has them five and half games up on the second place Texas Rangers. The Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies have sprung onto the scene by holding first place in their respective divisions. The Eric Thames experiment has been a rousing success.
But not all has been positive for everyone. The Kansas City Royals are a dumpster fire and the New York Mets are in complete disarray. The Chicago Cubs are suffering from a World Series hangover that is starting to finally subside.
Like every season, this one has been just as spontaneous. The script is completely different for every season and there are always things we just can not explain nor can we prepare ourselves for.
Pitching statistics have been good thus far. 20 starting pitchers have ERAs sub-3.00. Though early, there are many different favorites for the Cy Young award at the end of the season. Midway through May, here are the top five candidates.