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National League Cy Young a three-way race

By Bill Felber

PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 28: Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets reacts after allowing a single to Jordan Luplow #47 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning during the game at PNC Park on July 28, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 28: Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets reacts after allowing a single to Jordan Luplow #47 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning during the game at PNC Park on July 28, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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National League Cy Young
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 03: The 2016 National League Cy Young Award is presented to Max Scherzer #32 of the Washington Nationals before the start of the Opening Day game against the Miami Marlins on April 3, 2017 at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. The Nationals won 4-2. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) /

With a month left in the season, the race for the National League Cy Young Award is probably down to three names.

The National League Cy Young Award front-runners, Washington’s Max Scherzer, Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola and New York’s Jacob deGrom, appear to be tightly bunched. In one order or another, they rank 1-2-3 in earned run average, pitcher WAR, innings pitched, and Win Probability Added.

Since each can expect to make about five more starts, the decision may well come down to those final appearances. One additional factor is that all three pitch in the NL East, setting up the prospect that they could oppose one another down the stretch.

In the unlikely chance that a fourth candidate emerges from the pack to best all three, who could that candidate be? In Los Angeles, Clayton Kershaw is always available. In Denver, Kyle Freeland has emerged from obscurity to assume a front-rank role in the pennant race. In Atlanta, Mike Foltynewicz gives the NL Eat a potential fourth candidate, with the additional fillup that Foltnewicz is the ace of the front-runners for the divisional title.

This year’s top five is likely to have a certain similarity to recent Cy Young lists. Scherzer and Kershaw have both already won three awards, while Greinke and deGrom are perennial candidates.

At the same time,  Freeland and Foltynewicz, along with Patrick Corbin in Arizona and possibly Josh Hader in Milwaukee may inject fresh blood and fresh data into the discussion.

For the record, here’s a look at the 2017 National League Cy Young Award top 5: 1. Scherzer; 2. Kershaw; 3. Stephen Strasburg; 4. Greinke; 5. Kenley Jansen.

Here’s a deeper look at the credentials of the leading candidates for the National League Cy Young entering the season’s final month.

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