Breaking Blue 2015 NL Cy Young Award Ballots
No, none of us have award ballots and never will, but we all have an opinion and that’s what the internet is for! Over the next week we’ll deliver each of our writers’ picks for the top MLB awards; MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year for both the American League and National League. First, the NL Cy Young.
John Havok – Clayton Kershaw
Max Scherzer undoubtedly gained a few votes with his second no hitter of the season in his last start, and but his overall season just doesn’t stack up to Clayton Kershaw, Jake Arrieta and Zack Greinke as the top names for me. Looking at WAR (its not perfect, I get it. But when there’s 3 guys head and shoulders above other candidates, it’s pretty telling). FIP-based WAR would crown Kershaw the champ, RA9 WAR would give it to Greinke, and a 50/50 blend of the two sees Arrieta on top with Kershaw right behind. I don’t think there’s really a wrong choice here and each guy could have a case built for them, depending on how much weight you give to ERA, sequencing and batted ball “luck”, but my vote goes to Kershaw. Purely and simply, he’s a beast and the best pitcher in the game right now that every team in baseball would take if there was a dispersal draft tomorrow if cost wasn’t an issue. 300 Ks don’t grow on trees.
Spencer Estey – Clayton Kershaw
I believe that Kershaw is clearly the National League’s best pitcher. He had an absolutely monstrous season. Arrieta and Greinke really only have ERA arguments over Kershaw, and I don’t put a lot of stock in those arguments when it comes to determining the best pitcher.
Nikolai Ballevski – Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw was easily the best pitcher in the NL this year. He had a FIP under 2.00 and he K’d over 300 batters! It’s a crying shame that win totals and a couple of slightly fluky ERA seasons from two other very good pitchers could actually have him 3rd in Cy Young voting behind Arrieta and Greinke.
André Godin – Clayton Kershaw
Improbably, Clayton may have set the bar even higher for himself in 2015 over his 2014 season. Kershaw put up the kind of numbers that you just don’t expect pitchers not named Randy Johnson to put up.
We have the NL Cy Young as a clean sweep for Kershaw, and despite one of the most dominant pitching seasons of the current era, it’s possible he won’t win because of ERA. Recently voters have shown a little more acceptance of advance stats in their voting practices so maybe there’s hope, but we just have to wait and see.
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