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MLB Awards Watch: Greetings from Memorial Day

By Brad Rowland

May 30, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; A member of the U.S. Navy parachute team 'Leap Frogs' takes part in Memorial Day celebrations prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; A member of the U.S. Navy parachute team 'Leap Frogs' takes part in Memorial Day celebrations prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 30, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitches against the New York Mets during the second inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) pitches against the New York Mets during the second inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

AL Cy Young

  1. Jose Quintana, Chicago White Sox – This isn’t a name that casual fans will recognize, but Quintana has been awesome for the White Sox in 2016. At the age of 27, the right-hander is coming into his own, and that has resulted in a league-leading fWAR and ERA when compared to his American League brethren. Quintana isn’t the strikeout pitcher that you would expect to keep this crown all season, but if we are just talking about 2016, he has the best case.
  2. Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox – For the second straight edition, the White Sox send two pitchers into our rankings. Sale is, by all accounts, a better pitcher than Quintana right now, and he has the strikeout upside that more closely resembles a legitimate Cy Young contender. Still, most the advanced metrics (Sale has a .234 BABIP allowed, for instance) favor Quintana, and we’re splitting hairs a bit. Both pitchers benefit from a weak AL class right now, but Sale is a legitimate ace.
  3. Rich Hill, Oakland Athletics – I have very little belief that 36-year-old Rich Hill can continue this pace over a full season, but he has been incredible to this point. Hill has pitched only 64 innings in 11 outings, but his ERA (2.25) trails only Quintana among AL starters. Beyond that, Hill is striking out more than 10 batters per 9 innings, and while he needs that strikeout upside to mitigate some control issues, Hill’s stuff is absolutely filthy when he has it going. This might be the only time we see him in this space in 2016, but it’s been fun.

Next: NL MVP

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