It may be too early in the MLB calendar to determine the Cy Young winner in both leagues, but it’s always fun to speculate, evaluate candidates, and hand out unofficial “early-season” awards.
In the specific case of the Cy Young award in both leagues, there isn’t a candidate that is comfortably ahead of the pack.
Instead, MLB has identified three potential winners in each league that are very, very close in value, contributions, and statistics.
But if they had to pick a winner right now, New York Yankees’ Nestor Cortes would get the honor in the American League, while San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove would get the nod in the National League.
“We have two newcomers to the top spots in the Cy Young races,” the league tweeted, referencing the two mentioned hurlers.
We have two newcomers to the top spots in the Cy Young races. https://t.co/dpU16CkCQA pic.twitter.com/9dQA3qyC2y
— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2022
Cortes And Musgrove Are Dominating Hitters At Will
Cortes was battered in his latest outing against the Minnesota Twins, but still has a 1.96 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning to show for his efforts.
Musgrove, meanwhile, has a microscopic 1.64 ERA in 66 innings with the Friars, and has been a big reason why they have managed to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers within striking distance.
Both races, however, are extremely tight.
MLB has identified Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays and Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros as the primary competitors in the American League.
The Rays’ young lefty has a 1.87 ERA and 12.19 strikeouts per each nine innings; while the 39-year-old Verlander has a 2.13 ERA in 71.2 innings.
In the National League, the great Sandy Alcantara comes in second, while reigning NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes checks in at third.
Alcantara, the ace of the Miami Marlins, is third in MLB in pitching Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with 2.1 and boasts an excellent 1.61 ERA; while Burnes has a 2.48 ERA and has struck out 11.49 hitters per nine frames.
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