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MLB Awards Watch: Bryce Harper is the NL MVP… right?

By Brad Rowland

Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper (34) at bat against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper (34) at bat against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /

NL Cy Young

  1. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers – Kershaw is a legitimate MVP candidate, and he is an easy choice for me in this space. He doesn’t lead the league in ERA (see below), but the left-hander leads the NL in innings (185), strikeout rate (11.48 K/9), FIP (2.10) and fWAR (6.6). Remember, this is a season in which Kershaw actually had a slow start by his standards, and he is in the midst of one of the best three-month stretches in recent memory. Yes, he’s pretty good.
  2. Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs – Arrieta’s no-hitter on Sunday evening put him on the map for some more casual fans, but diehards know that the talented right-hander has been dominant all season long. Arrieta is second (to Kershaw) in fWAR among NL pitchers, and he boasts a sparkling 2.11 ERA in 183 innings. There is nothing that would indicate that Arrieta’s performance isn’t sustainable, and he is firmly entrenched as Chicago’s ace.
  3. Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers – Greinke leads the NL in ERA (1.61) by a considerable margin, and it will undoubtedly bother folks to see him this low on the list. To be honest, it isn’t a shot at Greinke, who has been tremendous all season, but ERA isn’t the only metric to determine pitching performance. Arrieta and Kershaw have simply been better across the board this season, and even if Greinke finishes higher based on voting, this is where he belongs for now.

Next: AL Cy Young

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