The American League features some of the best pitchers in the game. And while the National League may have the strongest World Series candidate in the Los Angeles Dodgers, even they should have a lot of trouble against some of the AL’s elite rotations.
Needless to say, some pitchers will always stand out from the rest of the pack. Some guys have been dominant from day one and haven’t taken their feet off the gas as we reach the key stretch of the season.
That’s why today, we’ll honor them by letting you know everything there is about the top three candidates to take home the Cy Young award in the American League. Who’ll win? Let’s break it down.
MLB News: 3 Leading Candidates For American League Cy Young
3. Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease continues to improve on a yearly basis, and he’s been more dominant this year than most of the early Cy Young candidates. His slider has been nearly-unhittable, and he’s been the lone bright spot on the Chicago White Sox’s rotation.
As of now, he boasts a 12-6 record with a 2.27 ERA, 1.122 WHIP, 190 strikeouts, and 62 walks over 147.0 IP and 26 starts. He’s forcing swings-and-misses at a historical rate and is just getting better.
2. Shane McClanahan
Kevin Cash and the Tampa Bay Rays continue to pull Cy Young candidates out of their bag on a yearly basis. This time, southpaw Shane McClanahan has been the jewel of an overly-dominant rotation.
McClanahan currently owns an 11-5 record with a 2.20 ERA and an absurd 0.862 WHIP. He’s made 24 starts and thrown 147.1 innings, striking out 182 and handing out just 30 free passes in his second year in the Majors.
1. Justin Verlander
The year is 2022, yet Justin Verlander continues to dominate as he did in the early 2010s. He’s turning back the clock and having one of the best seasons of his career, which is a lot to say for a 2-time Cy Young.
The undisputed ace of the Houston Astros, Verlander, came back from injury to log a 16-3 record with a 1.84 ERA, 0.855 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts to just 26 walks over 152 innings of work. That’s just remarkable.