Avast ye, mateys! 'Tis a fierce battle for th' NL Cy Young Award, with Snell, Gallen, an' Webb leadin' th' charge!
2023-11-15
Avast ye scurvy dogs! Blake Snell, Zac Gallen, and Logan Webb be the three fine buccaneers for the National League Cy Young Award. Arrr, the latter two be greenhorns, settin' sail for the first time in this race for glory!
In the National League, two first-time Cy Young Award candidates are going up against a previous winner. All three finalists pitch in the National League West. The winner of the award will be announced on Wednesday night.One of the finalists, Blake Snell, is the only pitcher among the three to have been a previous finalist for the award. He won the honor in 2018 in the American League with the Tampa Bay Rays. If he wins, he will join the ranks of pitchers who have won multiple Cy Young Awards, which is a rare feat.
Snell had an interesting season. His earned run average (ERA) was the lowest in the majors at 2.25, but he also walked the most batters. Despite this, he was highly effective and difficult to hit. In his last 23 outings, he had a 1.20 ERA and a career-high 234 strikeouts.
The second finalist, Zac Gallen, started the All-Star Game and was the favorite to win the award until Snell's strong finish. Gallen had a 3.47 ERA, which was seventh in the National League, but what stood out were his 17 wins and 210.0 innings pitched, both second most in the NL.
The final finalist, Logan Webb, was rewarded with a five-year, $90 million contract early in the season. He led the majors in innings pitched with 216 and had a 3.25 ERA, which was the fourth lowest in the NL. Webb had impressive control, walking just 1.29 batters per nine innings.
All three pitchers have had strong seasons, and the winner of the Cy Young Award will be announced soon. It will be interesting to see who takes home the honor in the National League West.