Coming into the season, the NL Cy Young Award seemed like Paul Skenes’ to lose. Having taken home the award back-to-back seasons, and with no signs of Skenes slowing down, he seemed like a lock to three-peat. But over the first two months of the season, things appear to be different. Sure, Skenes has continued to pitch very well, having a 2.83 ERA over 70 innings with 82 strikeouts to 13 walks, a 0.900 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 151. These types of numbers are good enough to take another Cy Young award.
What has changed is the competition Skenes faces. He is not the only pitcher putting together a very impressive resume for the Cy Young award. There are currently four starters in the NL that are making a very strong case to dethrone Skenes. It appears that we will see one of the best Cy Young races in years. But who are these contenders, and how strong has their season been?
The Candidates to take home the NL Cy Young Award
Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies: Last year’s runner-up has picked up right where he left off. Over an MLB high 93 1/3 innings, he has a 1.54 ERA with 113 strikeouts to 18 walks, a 1.061 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 282. But the most impressive part of Sanchez’s resume was his 50 2/3 scoreless streak. It is the longest scoreless streak in Phillies history and the 5th longest in MLB history. This level of dominance has Sanchez as the current favorite to take home the Cy Young. With him just missing the award last year, it adds just a little more incentive to vote for him.
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers: While Ohtani has been a good pitcher and batter, he’s always been stronger at the plate. That is not the case this season, as his pitching numbers are better than his offense. Over 61 innings, he has a 0.74 ERA with 67 strikeouts to 18 walks, a 0.787 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 551. The one thing working against him is that Ohtani will also be in the running for MVP. The last time a pitcher won the Cy Young and MVP was in 2014, when Clayton Kershaw did so. Voters may be hesitant to give Ohtani the Cy Young if they are going to vote for him to be the MVP.
Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers: No one has burst onto the scene quite like Misiorowski has. He has pitched in just 28 games and has established himself as a must-watch. In 13 starts this season, he has an MLB-low 1.50 ERA over 78 innings with an MLB-high 116 strikeouts to 22 walks, a 0.808 WHIP, and a 273 ERA+. But what has caught everyone’s attention is its ability to throw at such high velocity. Nearly half the pitches he throws in a game come in at over 100 mph. The only thing that Misiorowski has to prove at this point is that he can be effective over a full season.
Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves: Sale has seemingly discovered the fountain of youth. After it looked like his era of dominance was over when he left Boston, he has rediscovered how to be a successful pitcher in Atlanta. This season is one of his best yet. Over 72 2/3 innings this season, he has a 2.23 ERA with 86 strikeouts to 19 walks, 1.032 WHIP, and a 178 ERA+. He has been one of the biggest reasons the Braves have the best record in the MLB. If the Braves run away with the NL East and clinch the best record in baseball with Sale being the main contributor, it will be hard not to give it to him.
Of course, there are a few dark horses in this hunt, too. Guys like Chase Burns and Kyle Harrison have put together strong seasons and could easily join the race. But it feels like they will need to take the next step, or have one of the five guys in front of them start to struggle. Regardless of who is in the running for the award, it’s looking like a very entertaining race. We are in store for some of the best pitching performances we have seen this decade.
