2020 Cy Youngs

Just as there are those who think Mike Trout's mere existence mean he should be the AL MVP every year, there's a similar group who thinks the NL Cy Young is Jacob de Grom's birthright.  The Mets' ace has won back-to-back Cy Youngs despite going a combined 21-17 over those two seasons.  This post isn't meant to bash Jacob de Grom (or Mike Trout, for that matter), but the infatuation with him continues.  He's a finalist again this season.

However, while his 2018 race with Max Scherzer was simply a matter of how much value the voters placed on certain stats, and last year's follow-up was more the result of a lack of competition, neither one of those things is true this season.  Because de Grom is going against not one, but two contenders who posted comparable numbers for playoff teams that would not have advanced to the postseason without them.

Let's start with Trevor Bauer.  The Reds' ace pitched like one, leading the NL in ERA (1.73), WHIP (0.79) and opponents' batting average (.159).  He also finished second in strikeouts (100), trailing only de Grom, and pitched two shutouts.  More importantly, he was a workhorse.  Bauer took the ball on three days' rest down the stretch because the Reds needed him to, and they were rewarded with their first playoff berth in a decade.  Basically, he was the pitcher they traded for.  Bauer was only 5-4, but, as the voters have shown with de Grom, they don't care as much about won-loss records as they used to.

Then there's Yu Darvish, who did have the wins.  He went 8-3 this season for a Cubs team that won the NL Central despite getting very little from its offense.  Darvish finished second in the NL with a 2.01 ERA, third with 76 innings, and tied for fourth with 93 strikeouts (against just 14 walks).  He was arguably the best pitcher in the National League over the final half of the 2019 season, and he was arguably the best pitcher in the NL from the start this year.

Of course, Darvish got some help from Kyle Hendricks, which could work against him.  Hendricks was only 6-5 and had a higher ERA and opponents' average, but he also pitched the second-most innings in the National League (81.1).  Without the Darvish-Hendricks 1-2 punch, the Cubs don't make the playoffs, let alone win the division.

Another team that had a solid 1-2 punch was the Padres with Zach Davies and Dinelson Lamet.  Had they had Lamet in the playoffs, that series with the Dodgers could've been totally different.  Speaking of the Dodgers, World Series Champion Clayton Kershaw put up his typical numbers.  He didn't throw enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, but you can't ignore what he did in 10 starts: a 6-2 record, .194 batting average against, and 62 strikeouts in 58.1 innings.  It's also hard to ignore Max Fried's 7-0 record.  Say what you want about a pitcher's record "not being as important" in the modern game.  7-0 speaks for itself.

So, how will this vote end up?  I'll admit, this is the first one where I'm not 100 percent confident.  My vote would go to Darvish, but there are compelling arguments for Bauer, de Grom, and the other pitchers who filled up the other two places on everybody's ballots.

In the American League, there's no question.  Shane (Don't Call Me Justin) Bieber had his coming out party last season, when he was named All*Star Game MVP in his home park.  To follow it up in 2020, all he did was win the first MLB pitching Triple Crown since 2006.  Bieber went 8-1 with 122 strikeouts and a 1.63 ERA.  Simply put, he was as dominant as those numbers sound.  He's not just going to be a unanimous Cy Young winner, he probably got some strong MVP consideration (although, as we know, he wasn't among the top three).

The other two finalists illustrate just how ridiculously deep the Dodgers are.  Because they're both starters who were in LA's rotation last season.  Hyun Jin Ryu signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent, while Kenta Maeda was traded to the Twins for Brusdar Graterol.  In their first season with their new teams, they're the silver and bronze medalists behind Bieber in the AL Cy Young race.

Ryu pitched like the ace Toronto signed him to be, going 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 67 innings (while facing the heavy-hitting AL and NL East lineups exclusively).  More importantly, he was a constant every fifth day while the rest of the rotation was in a constant state of turmoil.  Maeda, meanwhile, went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and .168 batting average against.  He didn't allow more than three runs or six hits in any of his 11 starts.  That's consistency.

Although, I must admit that I was a little surprised that they were the other two finalists over Gerrit Cole and Dallas Keuchel.  Cole, of course, was the big free agent prize for the Yankees, and he did have his struggles in the middle of the season.  He also allowed too many home runs.  But, when you take the name off and just look at the numbers, a 7-3 record with 97 strikeouts (which both ranked second in the AL) and a .197 opponents' average (fourth), you realize he was perhaps the second-best pitcher in the AL this season.

Likewise, Keuchel turned back the clock in his first season with the White Sox.  They had the offense, but wouldn't have made the playoffs without the 1-2 punch of Keuchel and Lucas Giolito.  Keuchel had the better numbers, though.  He finished 6-2 and had a sub-2.00 ERA, which is impressive no matter how long the season is.  Oakland closer Liam Hendriks also deserves to be in the conversation after notching 14 saves.  So does A's starter Chris Bassit, who went a quiet 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA as Oakland won the division.

My AL Cy Young ballot looks nothing like the final standings.  Bieber's the obvious winner, but, no offense to the writers, I don't think Ryu and Maeda are 2-3.  Here's my rankings: 1. Bieber, 2. Cole, 3. Keuchel, 4. Maeda, 5. Ryu.

Over in the National League, it's much closer.  In fact, I think this will be one of the closer votes of the entire awards season (NL MVP will likely be the closest).  I give the slight edge to Darvish, although I kinda want to see Bauer win since the Reds have never had a Cy Young winner.  As for my full NL ballot, it's: 1. Darvish, 2. Bauer, 3. Lamet, 4. de Grom, 5. Fried.