The 2019 NL Cy Young is down to three starting pitchers: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Max Scherzer, and Jacob deGrom. Who comes out on top?
The three finalists for the NL Cy Young are led by some familiar faces, Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals and then there is a newcomer, Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Of the three, Ryu seems to be the one who gets lost in the mix. Even though it is not true especially this season, most people think of Clayton Kershaw when they think Dodgers’ starting pitcher.
Each pitcher was the ace of their respective staff this year and led them as far as they could take them. Scherzer and Ryu each led their teams to the playoffs and in the case of Scherzer, to a World Series title.
For the Mets, deGrom helped them make a late-season push which added to the drama of the playoff push, but ultimately it simply was not enough to get them there. They finished 3 games out of the last Wild Card spot behind the Milwaukee Brewers and the Nationals.
I’m going to take a look at each candidate’s resume, keeping in mind this is a regular-season award. I will not be considering playoff performance as it is unfair to deGrom’s season. I’ll be taking everything into consideration, i.e. stats, durability and how they pitched in crucial season games down the stretch.
Finally, after taking a look at the resumes’ I will choose who I think should win. As always this is always up for debate. If you think I’m wrong, let me know in the comments. I’m always open to hearing arguments for or against the pitcher I choose.