Who’s got what it take to get this guy?!
The year of the pitcher. Year of the Tiger, in Chinese time that is. Coincidence? Yes, but it seems like a lot of pitchers had the “Eye of the Tiger” this season. The looked forward to “the thrill of the fight”. They rose up to the challenge of their rivals. Whoa! I blacked out for a second. When I get a Rocky theme song stuck in my head I go into a zone. Anyway, how do you choose the best pitcher? Stats? Which stats? New age ones like WAR, BABIP, WHIP, or classics like ERA, Wins and Strikeouts? Is it his value to his team? How he dominated the rest of the league? So many questions. To me, hitters are easy. Pitchers, well, watch TV, which players do you see 75% of the time. Catchers and pitchers….and those creepy guys behind the plate. Always creepy.
AL Cy Youngers:
Top 5-ish
W ERA IP SO
Sabathia (21) Hernandez (2.27) Hernandez (249.2) Weaver (233)
Price (19) Bucholz (2.33) Sabathia (237.2) Hernandez (232)
Lester (19) Price (2.72) Weaver (224.1) Lester (225)
Cahill (18) Cahill (2.97) Verlander (224.1) Verlander (219)
Verlander (18) Weaver (3.01) E. Santana (222.2) Liriano (201)
Hughes (18)
WHIP WPA
Lee (1.00) Hernandez (5.12)
Hernandez (1.06) Sabathia (4.09)
Weaver (1.07) Weaver (4.02)
Cahil (1.11) Bucholz (3.75)
Marcum (1.15) Lester (3.51)
So these are the categories I look at when deciding who to give the award to. I highlighted and did other neat-o things to point out who stands out the most in each category. King Felix clearly has the edge over the other pitchers. However, even though him and Weaver both had dominant years, both of their teams did not make the playoffs. They were so far off I think they could have packed their bags in June. All 3 deserve it, but like you hear time and time again, pitching is not all about the W’s anymore. It’s an individual award that needs to be given to an individual. King Felix outpitched them all. And like I’ve said for, what seems like, 100 years, If Barry Sanders was on the Dallas Cowboys instead of Emmit, he’d have the record. Wait, wrong sport…..If King Felix were on the Yanks, he’d have the 21 wins, if not more. Felix Hernandez is my pick!
NL Cy Youngers:
Top 5-ish
W ERA IP SO
Halladay (21) Johnson (2.30) Halladay (250.2) Lincecum (231)
Wainwright (20) Wainwright (2.42) Carpenter (235.0) Halladay (219)
Jimenez (19) Halladay (2.44) Wainwright (230.1) Jimenez (214)
Hudson (17) Garcia (2.70) Hudson (228.2) Wainwright (213)
Arroyo (17) Oswalt (2.76) Myers (223.2) Kershaw (212)
WHIP WPA
Oswalt (1.03) Halladay (5.70)
Halladay (1.04) Jimenez (4.41)
Wainwright (1.05) Johnson (4.04)
Lilly (1.08) Oswalt (3.94)
Latos (1.08) Santana (3.53)
Cain (1.08)
In the eyes of the voters, every women in Toronto and Philly, and your truly, there’s only one man for this award:
Roy Halladay
This dude was on fire, from start to beginging! You had your hot starters, Ubaldo, and your end of the years studs, Oswalt, but noone pitched like Roy for the whole season!….wait…huh?…another guy? Adam wayne-who?……That’s right! Adam Wainwright! This guy was just a slight worse then Doc, which is saying a lot! I’m sure Adam will be hearing this a lot, but just about any other year, and The Cy would be his. Roy Halladay is my pick!
Thanks to fangraphs for the info
