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MLB Awards Watch: Felix Hernandez leads stacked AL Cy Young race

By Brad Rowland

Apr 29, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) pitches during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) pitches during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

NL Cy Young

  1. Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers – Greinke hasn’t been the strikeout pitcher in the way that the number two option on this list has been, but his ERA (1.52) is enough where it simply doesn’t matter. Even with his strikeouts down to only 7.42 per 9 innings, command has been good (2.09 BB/9), and Greinke’s track record is long enough to suggest that no significant regression is imminent. It is still a bit odd to see a Dodger not named Clayton Kershaw in this position, but here we sit.
  2. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals – Scherzer leads the NL in fWAR (1.9) based on a lights-out early season performance. He has a sub-2.00 ERA (1.99) to go along with 9.97 strikeouts per 9 innings and only 1.09 (!) walks in that same timeframe. That is a perfect combination for a pitcher with his level of offerings, and any notion that Scherzer would regress in the National League has proved to be comically off-base.
  3. Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates – The former number one overall pick has become a legitimate ace. Cole has a 2.32 ERA in seven starts, and while workload continues to be something to monitor (“only” 42.2 innings), the strikeouts are there to the tune of more than one per inning. No one questions Cole’s upside, and he is flashing it right now.

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