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MLB Awards Watch: Clayton Kershaw headlines All-Star break update

By Brad Rowland

Jun 15, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) winds up to throw during the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) winds up to throw during the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 15, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) winds up to throw during the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) winds up to throw during the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

NL Cy Young

Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw. 1. player. 71. <p>What a first half.</p> <p>Clayton Kershaw leads all MLB pitchers in fWAR (5.5) and bWAR (4.8) by a wide margin, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. The 28-year-old hasn’t pitched since June 26 as a result of a back issue, but that hasn’t stopped Kershaw from leading the way, including the fact that he sets the pace with a lights-out 1.79 ERA. Obviously, that is a ridiculous number through more than 120 innings of work, but Kershaw’s league-leading walk rate (0.67 per 9 innings) is out of this world, especially when factoring in that he is also a highly prolific strikeout artist.</p> <p>There aren’t enough superlatives to describe what Kershaw has done in the first three months of the 2016 MLB season, and let’s hope he can build on that with a clean bill of health following the break.</p>. SP

SP. San Francisco Giants. Madison Bumgarner. 2. player. 31. <p>Bumgarner took the stage in the final MLB game before the All-Star break, and the left-hander cemented this placement among NL pitching options. Bumgarner tossed a complete-game, 1-hit shutout to lower his ERA to 1.94 in 129.2 innings, and he trails only Kershaw with a 4.0 bWAR this season. There are other candidates for this spot, but Bumgarner’s workload and performance have been highly impressive.</p>

3. player. 31. <p>I’ve enjoyed a love-hate relationship with Johnny Cueto over the years, but in 2016, there is no question that I respect his work. Cueto leads MLB in innings pitched with 131.1 in 18 starts, and that is a big reason for his inclusion here. At the same time, the right-hander has been (very) good with that immense workload, posting a 2.47 ERA and exceptional command to the tune of a 1.64 BB/9 walk rate. He isn’t the strikeout pitcher that you would typically expect here and I don’t care much about his 13-1 record, but Cueto is an effective workhorse and eating innings at this quality level is quite valuable.</p>. SP. San Francisco Giants. Johnny Cueto

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