Mid Season MVPs and Cy Youngs - American League

by Matt Minucci

(for part I of this article, click here: http://sportvent.com/http-sportvent-com-midseasonmvpsandcyyoungs-americanleague- )

Pitching power!

So yesterday we ran through the viable candidates for AL MVP at the midway point and as if by providence, some of my candidates went out and backed up what I was saying by absolutely lighting it up last night - see Justin Morneau and his 2 homers and 7 RBIs.

Let's see if my powers of foresight continue into pitching as we take a look at potential Cy Young candidates in the American League after 1/2 a season.

These pitchers are SWEEEET!

First of all, there are a TON of quality pitchers this year across both leagues. In the American League alone, there's potential to have 8 or 9 twenty game winners. Last year, there was one. But barring an absolute insane run, many of these stalwart pitchers are not likely to be in line for Cy Young discussions. So let's dispense with them quickly.

Barely missing the cut are Tim Wakefield (11-3, but a 4.31 ERA), Jarrod Washburn (7-6, 2.87 ERA), Edwin Jackson (7-4, 2.52 ERA), A J Burnett (8-4, 3.87 ERA), Scott Feldman (8-3, 3.87 ERA), Nick Blackburn (8-4, 3.55 ERA) and Kevin Slowey (10-3, 4.86 ERA).

Close, but no cigar guys.

These are all great pitchers having very good years, but they still fall behind my top 9. Without further ado:

9. CC Sabathia, New York Yankees

I luv me some FAT-bathia!

CC is ninth and tenth (he's that large) on this list mainly because his ERA is too high and his win total is too low. But CC's got the goods, recently out-dueling Tiger ace Justin Verlander. And with the New York offense, it's not complete out of line to foresee the big man ripping off nine or ten straight wins. But he's got a lot of other quality guys to pass and I think it unlikely they all falter enough for him to get the Cy. His numbers so far:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

CC Sabathia 9 6 3.66  135    99     41     2

8. Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees  

Mo's MY Cy Young. Just, probably not the AL's.

Another Yankee comes in at number 8 and it's the great Mariano Rivera. Mo has had a tremendous year, saving 26 games in 27 attempts. Just one blown save leads all closers. His ERA continues to fall, sitting now at just 2.25 and he's only allowed 3 walks - THREE! - in 40 innings. Add 45 K's to those numbers and it's easy to see how Rivera gets mentioned in the Cy Young discussion. However, voters traditionally shun relievers when considering this award and he would have to have every other SP to fall significantly short of 20 wins to really have a legitimate shot at the award. But his numbers at least warrant him a mention here:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  Saves

Mariano Rivera 1 2 2.25   40    44      3       26

7. Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox

Buehrle's alternative lifestyle hasn't stopped him from being a top AL ace.

Mark Buehrle is the seemingly ageless ace of the Chicago White Sox and the tremendous season he's had so far is a large reason why the White Sox are contending in the central division. He's logged a whopping 125 innings, winning 10 of his 19 starts, with an ERA of around three and a half. He's threatening to surpass his career win total of 19 games, set in 2002. He's also won 16 games three other times in his career. Ordinarily, a veteran ace having a career season would be tops among Cy Young discussions. Sadly for Buehrle, there's so many other compelling stories this year, he's fallen back to 7th in my rankings. However, a strong second half could easily vault him to the top of the list.

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

Mark Buehrle 10 3 3.52  125    70     26     0

6. Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Jered Weaver hasn't let his obvious physical deformity to affect his talent.

Very quietly, at least it seems to me, Jered Weaver has had a remarkable first half for the Angels. He's leading the Halos in just about every starting pitcher category and has amassed some very impressive numbers through about 90 games. Weaver's career best for wins in a season is 13, so he's threatening to shatter that. He's pitched poorly of late so far though, so he's sort of been lost in the shuffle amongst other high end AL starters:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

Jered Weaver 10 3 3.48  124    107     39     3

5. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

Because nothing says Cy Young like a face full of cream.

Now that we're in the top 5, it's really hard to separate these guys. So, while I have Verlander listed 5th, the order of the top 5 is really too close to call. These five starters are all the early front runners for the Cy Young, in a race that should easily go down to the wire. Verlander has been lights out for the Tigers this year, bouncing back nicely from a terrible 2008 season. He's thrown two complete games en route to double-digit wins, which give him at least 10 or more wins in each of his first four major league seasons. He's amassed a league leading 155 strikeouts and can easily lay claim to the Cy Young at the midway point. His totals:

 Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

Justin Verlander 10 5 3.34  129    155     39     2  

4. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

King Felix is so good, he's now starting pitching while lying down.

Another west coast pitcher that tends to get overlooked, King Felix is finally living up to the vast potential that had been eluding him over his first three seasons. With 10 wins and an ERA around 2 1/2, he's poised to set career bests in wins and ERA. He's also racked up almost a K per inning and emerged as the go-to ace the Mariners have been looking for. The fact that he's fourth on this list really shows just how good the pitching has been this year in the American League. His numbers:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

Felix Hernandez 10 3 2.51  132    129     37     1

3. Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox  

I'll do anything for a cheap laugh at the Red Sox expense.

Josh Beckett was 2-2 in April this year, with an unsightly 7.22 ERA. Since then, he's gone 9-1 with an ERA of 2.14. To say he's turned things around would be an understatement. He's tied for the AL lead in wins with Tim Wakefield and Roy Halladay, at 11. There's no question that Beckett, a high profile pitcher on a high profile team, is gearing up for a run at the Cy Young. Since May 1, he's been masterful and is threatening to win 20 games or more for the second time in his career. So far, he's been dominant:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

Josh Beckett 11 3 3.35  121    110     35     2

2. Zack Grienke, Kansas City Royals

He also kills people.

Because he pitches for the Royals, Grienke is both ranked high on this list, and severely handicapped in his quest for the Cy Young. It's a double-edged sword to be sure. While there's no denying his talent, and the amazing first half run he had, it's difficult to imagine him garnering enough 2nd half wins to beat out all these other top flight starters who are pitching for contenders. The Royals offense is anemic to say the least, and while Grienke has been utterly dominant, he's lost or had a no decision in a lot of tight, low scoring ball games. However, he has hurled FIVE complete games, which is simply amazing, in today's day and age. His numbers can't be denied:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

Zack Grienke 10 5 2.08  134    136     24     5

1. Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays

Halladay is just a beast.

I'm giving the mid-season Cy Young to Roy Halladay, but, as I said, it's a close call among five worthy starters. And Halladay's chances of winning the Cy Young become remote to non-existent if he gets traded to the National League. Still, if he remains a Jay, or gets traded within the AL, he should easily put up the third 20 win season of his career. He's been dominate for the Blue Jays again this season, pitching in the toughest division in baseball - the AL East.  Here's his impressive totals:

Player W L ERA   IP   K   BB  CG

Roy Halladay 11 3 2.73  132    113     17     4

So there you have it. The best of the best, for pitchers, in the American League so far. Tomorrow, the NL MVP.

The NL MVP is PHAT!

*****************************************************************

I want to mention the AL Rookie of the Year race here briefly, mainly because there's not too much to say about it. It's been a terrible year for rookies this year.

Many of the top prospects have not excelled this year - David Price, Matt Wieters, Elvis Andrus; or have simply not been called up: Matt LaPorta, for example.

The AL rookies. Hilarious.

So for the best of a bad lot, we look at two Orioles and a Blue Jay:

Nolan Reimold, Of Baltimore Orioles is hitting .265 with 9 homers and 26 RBIs. He's pretty much the best of a bad lot of hitters.

Brad Bergesen, SP for the Orioles, has done well of late and improved his record to 6-4, with a sparkling 3.51 ERA.  

But the best rookie so far has been Ricky Romero, Blue Jay starting pitcher, who's 7-4 with a 3.25 ERA, with 77 strikeouts in 91 innings pitched.

That's pretty much it for rookies in the AL. Like I said, tough year.