AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBBRT Choice: Robbie Ray<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBBRT Prediction: Robbie Ray<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\nRobbie Ray, LHP, Blue Jays<\/strong> \u2026 Robbie Ray went 13-7, with a 2.84 earned run average (lowest among qualifying AL pitchers). He led the AL in strikeouts (248); innings pitched (193.1); games started (tied at 32); and WHIP (among qualifiers – 1.04). He fanned 11.55 batters per nine innings (third among AL starters). With a bit more run support, his record could have been even better.\u00a0 He went just 1-0 in August, despite having six starts in which he went six or more innings and gave up two or fewer runs.\u00a0 For the month, he averaged 6.8 innings per start, with a 1.76 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per nine.\u00a0 Ray’s was a dominant season.<\/li>\nGerrit Cole, RHP, Yankees<\/strong> \u2026 Gerrit Cole led the AL with 16 wins (versus eight losses) in 30 starts. He tied for the lead in complete games with two and trailed only Robbie Ray in strikeouts (243 to Ray\u2019s 248 in 181 1\/3 innings to Ray\u2019s 193 1\/3). Cole was also second in WHIP (among qualifiers) at 1.06 (to Ray\u2019s 1.04) and second in the AL in strikeouts per nine innings \u00a0(12.06 to Dylan Cease\u2019s 12.28). He was especially hot in the \u201cdog days of August,\u201d when he got three starts ad gave up one run in 17 2\/3 innings (13 hits, four walks and 24 strikeouts.) This should be very close; but Ray and Cole are the front runners.<\/li>\nLance Lynn, RHP, White Sox<\/strong> \u2026 Lynn went 11-6 in 28 starts and, although he was five innings short of qualifying for the ERA title, he turned in a sharp 2.69 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Lynn\u2019s chances may be hurt a bit by having just 11 wins.<\/li>\nJose Berrios,\u00a0 RHP Blue Jays<\/strong> \u2026. Barrios, who went 12-9, 3.52 was second in the AL only to Robbie Ray in innings pitched (192 to Rays 193 1\/3) and his 32 starts tied for the league lead. \u00a0He fanned 204 batters (fifth in the AL), his 1.06 WHIP tied for second among AL qualifiers, his 9.56 strikeouts per nine innings were ninth and his 4.53 strikeouts-per-walk ratio was fifth (all among qualifiers). Unfortunately for Barrios, he finished behind Ray and Cole in wins;\u00a0 ERA; strikeouts and strikeout\/nine innings; and WHIP (when you carry it out to three decimal points, Cole was 1.058, Barrios 1.063). \u00a0Still, Barrios was a quality, dependable starter for the Twins and Blue Jays and pitched at least six innings in 22 of 32 starts and seven or more frames in eight of those.<\/li>\nFrankie Montas, RHP, A\u2019s<\/strong> \u2026 Montas went 13-9, 3.37 (fourth among AL qualifiers) in 32 starts. His 187 innings pitched were third in the AL,\u00a0 his 207 strikeouts fourth, his 9.96K\/9 sixth and his 1.18 WHIP sixth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nNATIONAL LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nI know there are no ties in baseball, but there is a three-way tie for fifth place on this list (with the reasoning explained).<\/p>\n
BBRT CHOICE: Zack Wheeler<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nBBRT: Prediction: Max Scherzer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\nZack Wheeler, RHP, Phillies<\/strong> \u2026 Wheeler went 14-10, 2.78 (fifth-best NL ERA). His 213 1\/3 innings pitched led MLB, and he led the NL in strikeouts with 247. He also tied for the\u00a0 MLB lead in the \u201cunicorn\u201d categories – complete games (3) and complete-game shutouts (2), He finished fourth in the NL in strikeouts-to-walks ratio at 5.37.\u00a0 His 14 wins tied for fifth in the NL and three of the four pitchers above him were Dodgers (Julio Urias, Walker Buehler and Max Scherzer). \u00a0While Scherzer may be considered a favorite here, the fact that three Dodgers are legitimate contenders may actually help Wheeler – particularly considering that the all of the other starters on this list benefited from higher run support than Wheeler. The Dodgers’ Julio Urias, Max Scherzer and Walker Buehler received more than five runs of support per nine innings (according to STATS), while Wheeler was at 3.67.<\/li>\nMax Scherzer, RHP, Dodgers<\/strong> \u2026 Scherzer went 15-4, 2.46 (second among NL qualifies) on the season, with 236 strikeouts (second only to Zach Wheeler’s 247) in 179 1\/3 innings pitched. His 0.86 WHIP was the lowest among MLB qualifiers. Scherzer will probably generate a bit of extra support for what he did after moving from the Nationals to the Dodgers (July 30 trade). He was 7-0, 1.98 in eleven starts for the Dodgers (and LA won in his four no-decisions). Notably, this included a hiccup in his final two starts (10 earned run sin 10 1\/3 innings).\u00a0 On the season, Scherzer gave up two earned runs or less in 24 of 30 starts \u2013 no earned runs in ten.<\/li>\nWalker Buehler, RHP, Dodger<\/strong>s \u2026 Buehler went 16-4, 2.47 (numbers almost identical to Scherzer) in an NL–leading 33 starts. He fanned 212 batters in 207 2\/3 innings (second-most IP in the NL), had a 0.97 WHIP and 9.2 strikeouts\/nine innings. Finishing behind Scherzer in WHIP, K\/9, BB\/K ratio will likely deny him the CYA.<\/li>\nCorbin Burnes, RHP, Brewers<\/strong> \u2026 Burnes went 11-5, 2.43 (lowest ERA among MLB qualifiers), with 232 strikeouts in just 167 innings.\u00a0 His 12.6 strikeouts per nine led MLB qualifiers. Burnes also put up a 0.94 WHIP (second among MLB qualifiers to Max Scherzer). Burnes fanned ten or more batters in eight games,\u00a0 A couple more victories would have helped his case.<\/li>\n(Tie) Julio Urias, Josh Hader, Adam Wainwright<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nJulio Urias, LHP, Dodgers<\/strong> \u2026 There was a time when being MLB\u2019s only 20-game winner would have practically guaranteed the CYA.\u00a0 Well, Julio Urias was MLB\u2019s only 20-game winner in 2021 (20-3, 2.96) and still finished fifth on this list.\u00a0 He fanned 195 batters in 185 2\/3 innings and put up a WHIP of 1.02. Still, he finished behind all four starters ahead of him on this list in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP.\u00a0 For BBRT,\u00a0 20 wins has got to get you at least on the short list.\u00a0 He could do better than I expect, if enough voters share that old-school sentiment.<\/p>\nJosh Hader, LHP, Brewers … <\/strong>Brewers’ closer Hader went 4-2, with 34 saves in 35 opportunities and 102 strikeouts in just 58 2\/3 innings – putting up a 0.84 WHIP and holding hitters to a .127 average.\u00a0\u00a0That kind of lights-relief deserve recognition (and relievers are often underrepresented in the CYA competition.<\/p>\nAdam Wainwright, RHP, Cardinals<\/strong> \u2026 The 39-year-old Wainwright finished in the top ten in the NL in wins (second at 17, with 7 losses); ERA (3.05 – tenth); innings pitched (206 1\/3 \u2013 third); WHIP (1.06 \u2013 ninth); complete games (three – tie for first). Have to give a nod to that kind of “veteran” performance (particularly at my age, we oldster need hope).<\/p>\nPrimary Resource: Baseball-Reference.com<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE ON THE TOP 100 BASEBALL BLOG LIST<\/strong><\/p>\nhere.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nI tweet baseball @DavidBBRT<\/h3>\n Follow\/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0 More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nMember: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The post season is over and now it’s awards season.\u00a0 Here is Baseball Roundtable’s look (ratings, selections, predictions) at potential CY Young Award candidates.\u00a0 For\u00a0 a look at potential Rookie of the Year candidates, click here.\u00a0 Coming soon: MVP candidates. AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD BBRT Choice: Robbie Ray BBRT Prediction: Robbie Ray Robbie Ray, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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