MLB Awards Watch: Chris Archer makes the leap

AL Cy Young

1. Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays – Chris Archer is a legitimate ace. After 15 starts of lights-out performance, Archer has begun to pick up steam in terms of respect around MLB, but if anything, he remains violently underrated. The right-hander boasts a 2.18 ERA in 95 innings of work, and that number appears legitimate based on his peripherals (2.14 FIP, .295 BABIP, etc.). Archer is striking out 10.99 batters per 9 innings against just 2.18 walks in that same timeframe, and one of the quickest paths to pitching stardom is a dominant strikeout-to-walk ratio in this vein. The Tampa Bay Rays have been an overachieving bunch on the whole, but nothing in Archer’s performance appears to be a fluke, and he has joined the elite class.
2. Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics – Gray actually leads Archer in ERA (1.95), and he has been every bit as impressive. The youngster from Vanderbilt actually leads the AL in that category, and the only category in which he significantly trails Archer is in strikeouts. Gray offers a different assortment of pitches from his arsenal, but they are unquestionably effective, and he has been the brightest portion of what has been a downtrodden season for Oakland.
3. Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros – Keuchel screams regression in the minds of some, but all he has done is lead the American League in innings (107.1) with a 2.35 ERA. Seems pretty good, right? Keuchel’s FIP (3.25) is nearly a run higher and that is a bit worrisome when associated with a low strikeout rate (6.96), but his command has been good throughout the season, and even if he isn’t a dominance “ace”-type pitcher in the long haul, his value is legitimate.

Next: NL MVP