AL Cy Young candidates after the first two months of the season
As the calendar turns to June, certain players begin to stand out among others after the first two months of the season. Here are some Cy Young candidates in the AL.
Even though the baseball season still has four more months to go, it’s never too early to look at the potential award winners at the end of the season. In this post, we’ll take a look at the AL Cy Young candidates.
Plenty of pitchers in the AL have stood out and pitched to a Cy Young worthy degree. Only one of the pitchers in the early Cy Young conversations has won the award before. So there’s a good shot that whoever wins the Cy Young award will become a first-time winner.
In 2016, the AL Cy Young winner was also a first-timer. The Boston Red Sox’s Rick Porcello took home the honor last season. Porcello winning the award showed that the BBWAA still leans toward old school stats compared to new school analytics.
Porcello led all of baseball in wins with 22, while the Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander led all pitchers in WAR at 2.6. Although Verlander had more first place votes, Porcello won the award with more votes overall.
And just because these pitchers are in the Cy Young conversation right now, that doesn’t mean they will be by season’s end. The same goes for pitchers that aren’t in the conversation at the moment. Any of them could pitch well from June to September and take home the award.
Let’s take a look at some standout pitchers in the AL that are worthy of Cy Young consideration after the first two months of 2017.
Dallas Keuchel
The Houston Astros are the best team in baseball heading into June. Astros ace Dallas Keuchel continues to prove a key piece for the club.
As mentioned on the first slide, only one of the pitchers on this list has won the Cy Young award before. Keuchel won the award in 2015. That season, Keuchel led the AL in wins (20), shutouts (2) and WHIP (1.017). He also posted a 2.48 ERA, 2.91 FIP and 216 strikeouts. He became the first Astro since Roger Clemens in 2004 to win the Cy Young.
Keuchel followed up his Cy Young award-winning season with a disappointing 2016 season. He finished last season with a 9-12 record, 4.55 ERA, 1.286 WHIP, 3.87 FIP and 144 strikeouts. His performance in 2016 had many people wondering if Keuchel could ever return to his 2015 Cy Young form.
The left-hander answered the skepticism in the first two months of 2017. So far this season, Keuchel leads the league in wins (8) and ERA-plus (212). He also owns the second-lowest ERA (1.81) and WHIP (0.876) in baseball.
The 29-year-old looks back to Cy Young form. He might finish 2017 with better numbers than his 2015 season. With the Astros winning a lot, that plays into Keuchel’s favor.
Injuries remain an issue for Keuchel. He dealt with an injury-plagued season in 2016. He also spent a short stint on the DL in 2017 with a pinched nerve in his neck. If Keuchel can remain healthy, the sky’s the limit for him.
Ervin Santana
After April, Ervin Santana looked like the best pitcher in baseball and earned our AL Cy Young award for the month. Now through May, Santana continues to display his resurgence in 2017.
Despite a sweep by the Astros on Wednesday, the Minnesota Twins remain tied with the Cleveland Indians for first place in the AL Central. Santana has played a huge role in the Twins’ great start to 2017.
In his 13th big league season, Santana looks better than ever. He earned just one All-Star Game appearance so far in his career (2008). His only time placed in the Cy Young voting occurred that season. He finished in sixth place in 2008.
Now in 2017, Santana leads baseball in ERA (1.75), WHIP (0.844), H/9 (4.208) and shutouts (2). He sports a 7-2 record with 56 strikeouts. If the season ended today, Santana would probably take home the hardware.
Compared to his career numbers, 2017 proves to be the outlier for Santana. His career stats include a 140-118 record, 4.01 ERA, 1.264 WHIP, 4.22 FIP and 1,794 strikeouts.
The most recent Twins pitcher to win the Cy Young award was Johan Santana in 2006. Although, if the Twins start to fall in the standings before the trade deadline, Santana might end up on another team before season’s end.
Lance McCullers
Dallas Keuchel isn’t the only Houston Astros pitcher in the running for AL Cy Young. Lance McCullers also has a shot at the award after a stellar two months on the mound. McCullers is in the midst of a breakout campaign in 2017.
At 23 years old, McCullers is one of the best up-and-coming pitchers in MLB right now. He’s one of the many talented young stars for Houston. Combined, he and Keuchel are one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball.
In 2017, McCullers owns a 6-1 record, 2.48 ERA, 3.10 FIP, 1.056 WHIP and 73 strikeouts. He’s currently in the top 10 of each of the following categories: ERA, wins, FIP and ERA-plus.
Despite pitching in a hitter’s ballpark in Houston, McCullers dominates at home. In his three-year career, he owns a 13-4 record at home with a 2.08 ERA, 1.131 WHIP and 193 strikeouts. Compare that to his road stats and it’s not even close. His road stats are as follows: a 5-9 record, 4.42 ERA, 1.446 WHIP and 115 strikeouts.
As mentioned for Keuchel, McCullers gets the Cy Young worthy favor because of how good Houston is. If McCullers can start pitching as well on the road as he does at home, he could run away with this award.
Chris Sale
The Boston Red Sox knew what they were getting when they traded for Chris Sale in the offseason. Sale is a five-time All-Star and a top-five Cy Young award candidate the past four seasons.
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So far, Sale has been everything and more than what the Red Sox could have asked for. He leads MLB in strikeouts with 110. His other stats include a 6-2 record, 2.77 ERA and 0.910 WHIP. He also leads the league in innings pitched (78), FIP (1.91) and K/9 (12.7).
Sale pitches for one of the best teams in baseball. The Red Sox struggled to give him run support in his first few outings with the club. Boston hasn’t hit their stride yet, but when they do, expect Sale to lead the charge.
One of the most intimidating arms in baseball, Sale measures in at six feet, six inches tall and possesses some of the best pitches in the game. He has 1,354 strikeouts in eight seasons, including 2017.
Surprisingly, Sale has yet to win the Cy Young award. If he pulls the feat off this year, the Red Sox will have back-to-back Cy Young winners. The last American League team to have back-to-back Cy Young award winners was the Cleveland Indians. CC Sabathia won the award in 2007 and then Cliff Lee won it in 2008.
Other AL Pitchers with Cy Young Worthy Stats
The following three pitchers are all capable of winning the Cy Young award in the AL. All three have pitched incredibly well to start 2017, but are less notable than the other four pitchers already named.
Michael Fulmer:
After an impressive rookie season in 2016, the Detroit Tigers’ Michael Fulmer continues to impress in 2017. Fulmer currently sits tied for the lead in quality starts with 10.
His 2017 stat line includes a 5-3 record, 2.65 ERA, 3.05 FIP, 1.103 WHIP and 54 strikeouts. His ERA ranks ninth best in baseball. Fulmer’s FIP ranks fourth.
Dylan Bundy:
The Baltimore Orioles’ offense has never been the weak part of the team. Starting pitching was always the questionable piece of the puzzle for the Orioles.
With Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman not getting the job done for Orioles, Dylan Bundy has stepped up for the Orioles and provided them with an ace in 2017.
Bundy, like Fulmer, has 10 quality starts this season. He has a 6-3 record with a 2.89 ERA, 4.04 FIP, 1.144 WHIP and 49 strikeouts.
Next: 3 Players in the Midst of Breakout Campaigns
Jason Vargas:
With the recent news of Danny Duffy suffering an oblique strain earlier this week, Jason Vargas now emerges as the ace of the Kansas City Royals’ pitching staff.
Vargas had a stellar first two months of 2017. His stats include a 6-3 record, 2.39 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.127 WHIP and 51 strikeouts.
With the Royals struggling mightily in 2017, Vargas probably won’t finish the season in Kansas City.