The first six weeks of the baseball season are in the books. While it’s still early, we have seen enough already to get a good idea of which pitchers have the best shot at contending for a Cy Young award this season. And there are a number of pitchers who who can be crossed off the candidates list.
In the American League, there is a surefire ace, a bounce back candidate and a veteran hurler that lead the list of Cy Young contenders so far. Here is a look at the top early season American League Cy Young candidates.
Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox
Sale has lived up to the considerable hype early on in a Red Sox uniform. After the blockbuster trade that sent him to Boston in the offseason, there was no doubt that Sale would have some considerable pressure on him. In many ways, that makes what he has accomplished so far even more impressive. Sale is 3-2 with a 1.92 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and a 12.72 K/9. His only two losses came in games where he allowed only two earned runs. As a matter of fact, it’s quite surprising that Sale doesn’t have more wins on the year.
The Red Sox need Sale to perform at an elite level in order to contend this season. Based on what we have seen from him early on, there is no doubt Sale will be a Cy Young contender this season.
Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros
Keuchel won the AL Cy Young in 2015 when he went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He followed that memorable season with a forgettable one. In 2016, Keuchel went 9-12 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. That left many question marks about whether Keuchel could sustain a high level of success heading in to 2017. However, he has certainly responded early as he is 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. His 7.01 K/9 isn’t as high as he would like it to be, but he is clearly on the right track. After a disappointing 2016 season, Keuchel is back on track as an early AL Cy Young candidate. It definitely helps that the Houston Astros are in contention. They’ve been one of the best teams in baseball this season, which helps build Keuchel’s resume for the Cy Young award.
Ervin Santana, Minnesota Twins
Santana is coming off his worst start of the season against the Boston Red Sox. He still has some of the best numbers in the AL early on. Santana is 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. His 7.01 K/9 isn’t elite by any means but it is still better than Keuchel’s number right now. The biggest question with Santana is whether or not he can keep it up. And beyond that, can the Twins keep it up? They haven’t been fantastic but considering they were expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball, flirting with .500 is fairly decent.
There is no doubt that Santana’s numbers so far make him worthy of being in this conversation. How long can the veteran pitcher continue pitching at such a high level for the Twins?
James Paxton, Seattle Mariners
Paxton would have been higher on this list if it wasn’t for a forearm injury that landed him on the 10-day DL. Injuries are certainly a concern for Paxton, who was in the midst of a breakout season when he was sidelined.
Paxton is 3-0 with a 1.43 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. His 10.75 K/9 is second only to Sale on this list. The Mariners are hoping that Paxton can return soon and continue to perform at a high level. If he can build on his strong start and stay healthy then Paxton could be a dark horse Cy Young contender in the American League this season. It would also help his case if the Mariners were a little more competitive. As of right now, they’re in the middle of the pack in the American League West and that won’t be good enough for him. Team success is tied to Cy Young awards unless the individual performance is significantly better than all of the other competitors.
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