Fansided

So far, this year’s Cy Young Award is anyone’s game

By Adam Strangis

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals receives the 2017 Cy Young Award before the home opener against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on April 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals receives the 2017 Cy Young Award before the home opener against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on April 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 02: Pitcher and pinch hitter Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals is congratulated in the dugout after scoring in the 14th inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on June 2, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 02: Pitcher and pinch hitter Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals is congratulated in the dugout after scoring in the 14th inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on June 2, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /

1. Max Scherzer, RHP for the Washington Nationals

10-4, 2.04 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 37.1 strikeout rate, 114.2 IP, 4.4 WAR 

Max Scherzer is the baddest pitcher in the league right now, no offense to any other pitcher that has been mentioned so far. He’s started 17 games this year and he has recorded double digit strikeouts in 10 of them! That is incredible and Scherzer gets points in my book because he wears his heart on his sleeve when he pitches. That’s not a reason to give him the Cy Young but it’s just more enjoyable to watch a pitcher who shows this kind of emotion during a game in the middle of June.

In his four losses, Scherzer has given up one, two, two and two earned runs. In other words, he hasn’t pitched poorly enough to truly deserve a loss really at all this season. There’s been one start all year that a team has gotten to him for more than two earned. Much like Verlander, Scherzer hasn’t completed six innings just one time in 17 outings.

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Mad Max is one of the fiercest competitors in baseball and that attitude is a big part of the reason he is so dominant start after start. He leads baseball in strikeouts by 12 and after second place Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole is 18 behind Scherzer. The man is a borderline cheat code when he’s on the mound and he’s well on track to add to his trophy case. As much respect as I have for deGrom, this is still Scherzer’s award to lose the rest of the way.

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