Fansided

25 most important stars for MLB playoffs

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a sixth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees follows through on a sixth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 24: Starter Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch during the second inning of a game against the Seattle Marinersat T-Mobile Park on September 24, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 24: Starter Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch during the second inning of a game against the Seattle Marinersat T-Mobile Park on September 24, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

15. Gerrit Cole

Voters for the 2019 American League Cy Young will be faced with one of the more difficult choices in recent years. Both Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are deserving of winning, and picking between them will really come down to splitting hairs. Verlander led the league in wins, innings, WHIP, WAR and strikeout-to-walk ratio, while Cole claimed the ERA title, struck out 316 and had the best FIP, ERA+ and strikeout rate. There’s no way to argue against a vote for either Astros ace.

Cole ended the regular season on one of the best runs by a pitcher in MLB history. He struck out more than 10 in 11 of his final 13 starts of the year and ended with a streak of eight consecutive stars with more than 10 strikeouts. Cole went 4-0 in September with a 0.97 ERA in 37 innings with 64 strikeouts and only five walks.

This was an epic season for Cole, and there’s no reason to expect it won’t continue into the playoffs. There have been some up-and-down moments for the right-hander in his playoff career. He took the loss in the 2015 NL Wild Card Game while a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and also allowed five runs in six innings in the ALCS last year.

For Cole, the 2019 postseason is a chance to cement his status as a $30-million-a-year starter (if he hasn’t already done so). The 29-year-old will be the marquee free agent in this year’s class. Verlander and rotation mate Zack Greinke have already established themselves as postseason heroes, and now it’s Cole’s turn to do the same.

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