Fansided

MLB Awards Watch: Cy Young races

By Nicholas Ian Allen

June 6, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
June 6, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 10
Next
May 11, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2017; Bronx, NY, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros

The Astros have the best record in baseball in large part because their starting rotation features two bona fide Cy Young candidates. Dallas Keuchel, who surprised the baseball world win he won the honor (and finished fifth in AL MVP voting) in 2015, is back in peak form this year. Keuchel is 9-0 in 11 starts, and has posted a 1.67 ERA in 75.2 innings this season. The lefty’s ERA is better than all major leaguers with at least 50 innings pitched, and he has been worth 1.9 wins to Houston.

Keuchel doesn’t often rack up huge strikeout numbers, but he has 69 punch-outs this season, and a career high 24.4 percent strikeout rate. Known for his ability to keep the ball on the ground, Keuchel also leads all pitchers with a 67.4 percent groundball rate. His soft contact percentage (29.9 percent) is also the best in baseball, and he allows the lowest hard contact percentage (20.1 percent) among starters as well.

Unfortunately, Keuchel has already gone to the disabled list multiple times this season, and won’t be back on the mound for the Astros until after the All-Star break. Fairly or not, voters often penalize pitchers if they miss a significant portion of the season, and if Keuchel can’t shake the nerve issue in his neck that’s been bothering him lately, his chances to win a second award will plummet.

However, it’s impossible to ignore the numbers, which gives Keuchel a place on our list.

Home/MLB