Masahiro Tanaka and Madison Bumgarner named AL and NL Pitchers of the Month for May
Masahiro Tanaka of the New York Yankees and Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants have been named the American League and National League pitchers of the month for May.
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Tanaka, 25, is not only the front-runner to win the American League Rookie of the Year award, but could also win the Cy Young award as well went 5-1 with a 1.88 earned-run average with 42 strikeouts to only six walks in 43 innings pitched.
He suffered his first loss in 42 starts earlier this month to the Chicago Cubs of all teams, but the Japanese import has been nothing short of stellar in his first season in the Bronx.
The 6’2”, 205-pound right-hander with one of the best splitters in baseball is 81 with a league-leading 2.06 ERA and .953 WHIP has 88 strikeouts in 78.2 innings over 11 starts.
Through the first two months of his career he has proven to be worth every penny of the seven-year contract worth $155 million.
Bumgarner, 24, went 5-0 with a 2.08 ERA with 48 K’s and only five walks in 39 innings pitched during the month.
The 6’5”, 235-pound southpaw is among the best lefties in baseball and has asserted himself as the ace of the staff for the Giants who own the best record in baseball with a 37-20 record.
Bumgarner is 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA on the season with 85 K’s through 72.2 innings pitched over 12 starts. He went 13-9 last year with a 2.77 ERA and topped the 200-inning threshold for the third straight year en route to being named to his first All-Star team and a ninth place finish in the National League Cy Young Award.