2019 MLB Season: September NL Cy Young race update
5. Stephen Strasburg, SP, WSN
The only reason that this award is not going to Stephen Strasburg this year is because of his ERA. Through 29 starts, the 31-year-old leads the NL in wins with a 16-6 record, is second in innings pitched and strikeouts, and is helping lead the Washington Nationals to the playoffs.
He will be one of the few pitchers in the NL to reach 200 innings and 200 strikeouts. He is fourth in the NL in pitcher’s WAR> His wins inflate his value as a candidate, but he has proven to be a durable starter who can easily sit a batter down with his pitches.
The 31-year-old three-time All-Star, who already has a career-high in wins, has most likely had his best season since his 2017 campaign. During a season where he could opt out of his current contract, Strasburg truly performed at an elite caliber in 2019 and may be able to negotiate another large deal.
Even though his 2019 MLB season will fall short of Cy Young standards, it was significant due to the fact he helped carry the Nationals to a strong record and most likely finish second in the NL East.
It’s reasonable that Strasburg may obtain some first-place votes, but the main argument against him is that there are pitchers with much lower earned run averages. He has a few more opportunities to lower his ERA this season, and he really needs to take advantage of those starts.