THE ARMS RACE

With the MLB All Star Game approaching in the next few weeks, I wanted to take a look at the top 5 candidates in the National League and American League for the Cy Young Award, awarded to the best pitcher in their respective leagues.

National League

5.) Max Fried (ATL):

Straight out of Harvard Westlake, not too far from where I live, Max Fried has been dominant for Atlanta and has turned into one of the games best southpaws. Fried is 9-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Since becoming a full time starter in 2019, Fried has emerged as one of the league's most elite starters and is a huge reason why the Braves have finally started to pick things up.

Opponents are currently batting .231 against him this season a he is on pace to record 200+ K’s. With Fried also on pace to throw over 200 innings, he can make a strong case for collecting what could be his first of many Cy Young Awards.

4.) Corbin Burnes (MIL):

Fresh off of securing the award last season, Corbin Burnes has continued his dominance into 2022, currently sitting 1st in the MLB in strikeouts (134). The record isn’t pretty (7-4), and the ERA is definitely solid (2.20), but I would never doubt a man with this type of talent. After having a 8.82 ERA in 2019 with the Brewers, Corbin Burnes did something during the covid break and returned as one of MLB’s best pitchers. Since then, Burnes ERA hasn’t even come close to touching 3.00 and he is without a doubt one of the scariest pitchers in today's game.

Burnes is currently on pace for 258 strikeouts, which would smash his strikeout total from last season (234). Opponents are batting .182 against him, but the long ball is becoming a bit of an issue as he has already given up almost double the amount of home runs this season compared to last. All that being said, I’m all for giving other guys a shot at winning the award and I just believe there are some pitchers better than Corbin Burnes right now.

3.) Tony Gonsolin (LAD):

Tony Gonsolin, aka Cat Man, has been the best pitcher for the Dodgers so far this season. With Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw both missing time due to injuries, it’s nice to have someone carrying the load for the time being. It took awhile for Gonsolin to become a full time starter for LA, but he is finally making the most of the opportunity.

Gonsolin is currently 11-0 with a 1.62 ERA and .80 WHIP. The reason for him being #3 on the list is due to his lack of innings pitched. In 16 games for the Dodgers this season, Gonsolin has pitched more than 6 ⅔ innings only three times. Let's give Gonsolin his flowers though, opponents are hitting .157 against him. It’s good enough for LA to get the wins, but not good enough to win NL Cy Young.

2. ) Joe Musgrove (SD):

Take it all in folks, this is the only time I will give a Padres player his flowers, but it’s hard to ignore what this man is doing. After a really average season last year, Musgrove is having himself a season right now and is a reason for why the Padres are able to stay afloat with the Dodgers.

8/15 starts for Musgrove have included 7+ K’s and he has had 2 or less walks in each of those performances. Musgrove has a career low in opponents batting average (.194), on base percentage (.250), and slugging percentage (.326). He is flashing an 8-2 record with a 2.09 ERA and .93 WHIP, and without a doubt, definitely has built the case to be your 2022 NL Cy Young Award Winner.

1.) Sandy Alcantara (MIA):

This dude has just come out of nowhere. Alcantara has already matched his win total from last season, and we haven’t reached the All Star break yet. He is currently 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA, .91 WHIP, and currently leads the league in innings pitched (130.1). Opponents are batting .193 against Alcantara and are slugging at .284, which is just utterly absurd.

Playing for a team that doesn’t have a ton of talent, to have the fourth most wins in the MLB is quite impressive. He’s really limited his XBH, only conceding 18 doubles, 3 triples, and 6 home runs this season. So without further ado, I present to you the NL All Star game starter and Cy Young Award winner, Sandy Alcantara.

American League

5.) Shohei Ohtani (LAA)

The second coming of Babe Ruth, Shohei Ohtani has been one of the few bright spots for the Los Angeles Angels. After securing the AL MVP last season, Ohtani has improved immensely, most notably in the pitching department. Shohei currently owns a 8-4 record with a 2.44 ERA and .99 WHIP.

With three straight games of 10+ K’s, Ohtani is on pace for over 200 strikeouts this season. Opponents are currently batting .200 with a slash line of .200/.251/.323./.527, all which would be career lows for Ohtani. The Angels might be looking to move Ohtani if they can’t afford to pay him, so look out for the next Babe Ruth to hit the market.

4.) Logan Gilbert (SEA)

One of the many bright spots for the Seattle Mariners has been ace Logan Gilbert, who continues to shine in each outing. Entering just his second season in the big leagues, the 25 year old righty has made a huge improvement from last season by already beating his win total and lowering his ERA from 4.68 in 2021 to 2.80 in 2022.

The future is definitely bright for this young star as he is currently 10-3 with that 2.80 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He is currently on pace for 188 strikeouts, which would put last season's total of 119 to shame. Gilbert is definitely getting more control of his pitches and has found ways that allow for him to control the pace of play. Even if he slips out of the top 5 voting I am so excited to see what the future holds for this kid.

3.) Alek Manoah (TOR)

Putting Manoah at #3 on my list was a very difficult thing to do, but it should be looked more as a compliment, because the pitching in the AL is elite. Manoah had a very promising year last year with the Blue Jays, sporting a 9-2 record in 20 games to go along with a 3.22 ERA. His strikeout to walk ratio still isn’t great, but he is still finding ways to have quality starts.

Manoah is currently 9-4 in 17 games and has lowered his ERA drastically to 2.34 with a .98 WHIP. Manoah’s record would be a little bit better, had it not been for the quiet bats of the Blue Jays. The team has been struggling at the starting pitching position this year, with Berrios and Kikuchi being very underwhelming signings to say the least. With Manoah only being 24 years old, he has been able to put the team on his back when he has needed to and I definitely see a Cy Young Award in his future, but the time just isn’t now.

2.) Justin Verlander (HOU)

Just like fine wine, Verlander has aged beautifully. The 39 year old has been dominating the MLB since returning from Tommy John surgery. He is currently tied for the most wins in the MLB with Tony Gonsolin (11), and carries a 2.00 ERA and .87 WHIP. Usually when a pitcher returns from Tommy John Surgery it takes a little bit to get adjusted back to the pace of the Majors, but Verlander has had no issue.

The Astros have a scary starting rotation and it can definitely compete with the demons in New York with the Yankees. I believe Verlander will have the opportunity to join an elite club and collect his 3rd Cy Young when it is all said and done.

1.) Shane McClanahan (TB)

McClanahan has simply just been dominant for the Tampa Bay Rays. Making a case to be the starter for the AL in the All Star Game, McClanahan is 9-3 with a 1.73 ERA and a .81 WHIP. His arsenal of pitches allow for him to be deadly on the mound.

He has 141 K’s in 17 games this season, after having 141 in 25 games last season. Opponents are slashing .178/.220/.294/.514, and McClanahan has had four games with 10+ K’s. With him only being 25 years old, the future is definitely bright for the Rays and I can see a few Cy Young Awards for McClanahan.