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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 /
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Jun 9, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Craig Kimbrel, Boston Red Sox

Closers don’t often win the Cy Young. In fact, only 10 pitchers used primarily as relievers have won it since the award debuted in 1956. The last relief pitcher to win the Cy Young was Eric Gagne, who took home the hardware after posting a 1.20 ERA and 55 saves in 2003. The last American League closer to win it was Dennis Eckersley in 1992.

But none of those pitchers – and arguably none since – were as dominant as Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel.

Kimbrel leads the American League with 21 saves, and has a 2-0 record with a 1.07 ERA in 33.2 innings across 32 appearances. The 29-year-old has 61 strikeouts and just five walks, and has allowed only one home run. Overall, Kimbrel has been worth 2.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs, which ranks in a tie for 13th in the majors – an unheard of position for a non-starter.

Kimbrel has the lowest WHIP (0.48), batting average allowed (.097), FIP (0.44), xFIP (1.12) and SIERA (0.96) among all major league pitchers with at least 30 innings to their credit. He also has the highest strikeout rate (51.3 percent), which is a full 5.7 percent better than No. 2 Dellin Betances. Kimbrel also has the best K%-BB% (47.1 percent) in baseball.

Simply put, no pitcher has been more dominant this season than Kimbrel. However, since he pitches roughly one inning at a time, and shares a pitching staff with one of the top candidates, he’s not very likely to win the AL Cy Young Award.

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