AL Cy Young: Beckett vs. Wang… um, really?
So the buildup to Saturday’s Fox telecast of the Sox-Yanks was that it was the two leading candidates for the AL Cy Young - and the winner of that game would go onto win the AL Cy Young (or at least should).
Um… really?
Chien-Ming Wang is a wonderful pitcher having another very good year - but he’s nowhere close to earning consideration for the AL Cy Young this year. Beckett merits consideration, but I could make a case for at least five *other* AL pitchers who are more deserving. So… I will (names - with YTD stats (and AL rank in parentheses)):
Let’s start with Fox’s “top two”:
Beckett - 3.20 ERA (5), 1.13 WHIP (4), 19-6 (1), 28 GS, 188.2 IP (17), 16 WS (9). His team will be a division winner.
Wang - 3.82 ERA (16), 1.29 WHIP (18), 18-7 (2), 28 GS, 186.1 IP (18), 14 WS (T13 w/ Joe Blanton). His team will win the Wild Card.
(1) CC Sabathia - 3.21 ERA (7), 1.15 WHIP (5), 17-7 (T3), 32 GS, 227.0 IP (1), 22 WS (1). His team will be a division winner.
(2) Fausto Carmona - 3.07 ERA (1), 1.21 WHIP (10), 17-8 (T3), 30 GS, 202.0 IP (T7), 18 WS (T2). His team will be a division winner.
(3) John Lackey - 3.21 ERA (6), 1.26 WHIP (17), 16-9 (T7), 30 GS, 202.0 IP (T7), 18 WS (T2). His team will be a division winner.
(4) Kelvim Escobar - 3.25 ERA (8), 1.24 WHIP (16), 17-7 (T3), 28 GS, 185.2 IP (19), 18 WS (T2). His team will be a division winner.
(5) Johan Santana - 3.14 ERA (3), 1.06 WHIP (1), 15-12 (T9), 31 GS, 209.0 IP (5), 18 WS (T2). His team will not be a division winner, but he’s certainly done his part.
And I didn’t even include other notables such as Erik Bedard (18 WS), Danny Haren (17 WS), and even Mark Buerhle (17 WS). Win Shares serves to incorporate the other stats listed - beginning with the fact that a good ERA and WHIP are paramount, but doing so over more games/innings is more important i.e. Sabathia’s top-7 ERA combined with his “most innings pitched” help to give him the most Win Shares - that is, he contributed more to his team’s (and his own) wins than any other AL starter… by far.
Hey, I’m a Red Sox fan… I’m ecstatic with what Beckett’s done this year, and I’m hopeful it becomes commonplace for him rather than being just an aberration. He’s certainly worthy of being in the discussion thanks to his 5th-best ERA and 4th-best WHIP - and voters will spend too much time looking at his 19 wins, but that does lead the league. However, his innings - leading to his “only” 9th-best Win Shares total - (should) hurt his candidacy. As I said before, Wang is a very good pitcher having a very nice year - but he’s just not worthy of being in discussion given the years that a number of other AL pitchers are having.
You may have a different top-5, which may or may not include Beckett, and that’s fine - but he’s clearly anything but a no-brainer choice. I’d like to see him win it, but I just don’t think he’s most deserving. My vote, if I had one, would go to Sabathia (assuming nothing drastic happens to the aforementioned contenders in the remaining two weeks).
Okay, I’m done now.