MLB Awards: 3 finalists for NL Cy Young
By John Buhler
The NL Cy Young will go one of three starting pitchers in 2015: the Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta, the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke, or the Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw.
All three starting pitchers played instrumental roles in getting their teams to the postseason in 2015. Jake Arrieta had an electric second half for the Chicago Cubs, helping get the lovable losers on the North Side of Chicago to the NLCS. Many thought that the Cubs under new manager Joe Maddon would still be a year or so away from contending, but consistently strong performances by players like Arrieta helped get Chicago over the top in 2015.
Nobody could touch Zack Greinke in 2015 and Clayton Kershaw continues to prove himself as the best starting pitcher in baseball the last half decade. Both Greinke and Kershaw front-lined the Dodgers’ rotation as the most formidable one-two punch in baseball to an NL West Division Title. The Dodgers may have had some inconsistencies on their roster, as they failed to get out of the NLDS once again, but the dynamic duo of Greinke and Kershaw continued to terrorize National League hitting.
The Baseball Writers Association of America have a difficult task in picking the best pitcher in the National League, as all three ‘aces’ are certainly deserving. So here are the cases for Jake Arrieta, Zack Greinke, and Clayton Kershaw to take home the 2015 NL Cy Young award.
Next: The Case for Jake Arrieta