Handicapping the NL Cy Young Race
SportingNews.com
Aug 20, 2010
Tim Lincecum won the 2009 NL Cy Young award with a 2.48 ERA and a 15-7 record. Those numbers would be too pedestrian to be worth top-five consideration in this year of the pitcher.
Five deserving contenders for the 2010 NL Cy Young award:
1. Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals. With a major league-best 2.06 ERA and 17 wins, he has one hand on the trophy. His five complete games are tied for third-best.
2. Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies. He leads the majors in innings pitched and complete games -- one of them a perfect game -- and is first in the NL in strikeouts. But he trails Wainwright in ERA and wins. For now.
3. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies. He looked like the shoo-in winner at the All-Star break, but a 3.96 ERA since has him clinging to a top-three spot.
4. Tim Hudson, SP, Braves. His 2.15 ERA is second in the majors and his .217 batting average against is tied for sixth. Plus, he is getting stronger, going 5-1 with a 1.79 ERA since the break.
5. Josh Johnson, SP, Marlins. His 1.72 ERA coming into August led the majors, but he has allowed 18 earned runs in his past five starts (after allowing 17 runs in his previous 18 starts).
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