MLB Awards Watch: The Explosion of Bryce Harper

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /

NL Cy Young

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals – Scherzer continues to lead the pack by nature of his dominant performance and the notion that he isn’t likely to regress. The former AL Cy Young winner has a 1.75 ERA to this point in the season, and that is backed up by 10.48 strikeouts per 9 innings against only 1.27 walks in that same timeframe. Scherzer has already adjusted to the National League with flying colors, and that contract is suddenly looking like a “value” despite the enormous price tag.
Matt Harvey, New York Mets – The preseason hype was immense for Harvey, and the 26-year-old has easily lived up to the billing. Harvey sports a 1.98 ERA across eight starts (54.2 innings), and it doesn’t look to be a mistake, with spotless ratios including 9.22 strikeouts per 9 against just 1.32 walks per 9. Harvey’s curveball is a work of art, and the big right-hander pairs that with quality control and bite on his fastball to form a Cy Young-worthy arsenal.
Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves – Miller leads the league with a blistering 1.33 ERA, and he has been a fantastic story since arriving in Atlanta as part of the famed Jason Heyward trade. However, the talented right-hander has some questionable peripherals (3.28 FIP, 3.77 xFIP) that make it seem quite likely that regression will strike him hard at some point. Miller is a very good pitcher with real upside, but is he this good? Probably not.

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