MLB Awards Watch: Chris Sale, Max Scherzer lead Cy Young races

National League

 3. Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers

If Clayton Kershaw were still healthy, he would be a surefire Cy Young Award candidate, and the most likely Dodgers pitcher to win the honor. Kershaw, who hasn’t finished out of the top five of the NL Cy Young vote since 2010, is 15-2 with a 2.04 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 141.1 innings. If he returns from the disabled list by the end of the regular season, he’ll have an opportunity to improve on those numbers, and make a case for votes – but another win is highly unlikely.

However, the Dodgers pitcher with the best chance of winning the award is closer Kanley Jansen. The big right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.33 ERA and 28 saves in 47.1 innings spread across 45 appearances. Jansen has struck out 72 hitters and walked only four, and opponents are hitting just .165 against him. He ranks second in the majors with a 0.68 WHIP, just 0.1 behind Kimbrel, and leads all MLB pitchers with at least 30 innings in FIP- (30), K/BB (18.0) and walk rate (2.3 percent).

Only Felipe Rivero (0.67) and Pat Neshek (1.26) have an ERA lower than Jansen among pitchers with at least 30 innings to their credit. Jansen has struck out 41.1 percent of the hitters he has faced this season, which ranks fourth in the majors, and his 1.25 FIP is the best in baseball. He ranks second in SIERA (1.54), third in xFIP- (48) and ERA- (32). Jansen also ranks No. 19 among all pitchers with 2.5 fWAR – better than any non-starter.