Early Candidates for the American League Cy Young Award

Posted on by Charlie Ricker

We are a third of the way through the MLB season, baseball’s top pitchers are separating themselves from the rest of the pack. Some of the usual cast of characters are pitching as expected, and there are a couple of surprises as well.

Today we will look at early contenders for the American League Cy Young Award.

Gerrit Cole – The $324 million dollar ace of the New York Yankees is doing his thing. His numbers (6-2, 1.81 ERA) are as you would expect. Cole struck out ten or more five times, and struck out 59 hitters without issuing a walk. The Cy Young odds have been updated and it looks like Cole is now -125 favorite to take home the award.

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John Means – Means opened eyes across the baseball world on May 5, when he pitched a no-hitter against the Mariners in Seattle. But those who have watched the big, strapping lefty for some time shouldn’t be surprised. He’s leading the AL in ERA with 1.79, and would be among the league leaders if he had more run support from his Orioles teammates.

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Kyle Gibson – Some folks reading this are probably saying, “WHO?” The 33 year old Gibson has toiled in relative obscurity in Minnesota for most of his career, before coming to the Rangers prior to the 2020 season. He entered this season with a career 69-74 record and ERA over 4.50, but seems to have finally put it together. Gibson has a 3-0 record and 2.24 ERA in ten starts, including a 1.50 ERA in his last nine outings. Like John Means, he should have a lot more wins if he had run support.

Hyun-Jin Ryu – Ryu has been one of baseball’s top pitchers since coming to the majors in 2013 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to the 2020 season, he signed a four year contract with Toronto to be their ace. He hasn’t disappointed. Ryu posted a 2.69 ERA across a dozen starts in the abbreviated season last year. He has carried it over this year, fashioning a 2.53 earned run average. The stuff is there for him to win, the biggest obstacle has been staying healthy long-term.

Tyler Glasnow – Before he was traded to the Rays from Pittsburgh, it was hard to tell where Glasnow’s career was headed. The 6’8″ righty had trouble with mechanics and keeping everything in-line. The raw stuff was there, but no one know where the ball was going when it left his hand. After the trade in Summer 2018, Kevin Cash and the Rays put him right into the starting rotation. A switch flipped on when Glasnow began working with respected pitching coach Kyle Snyder. The Rays coach is also a big man and a former pitcher. The 27 year old Glasnow (4-2, 2.57 ERA) is pitching deep into games, averaging 12.6 K’s per nine innings. 

In a later installment, we will break down starters who could battle for the Cy Young in the senior circuit.

 

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Paying Respects to Tom Terrific

Posted on by Charlie Ricker

Last night, the baseball world was rocked by the tragic news of Tom Seaver‘s passing at the age of 75. The most famous New York Mets player in team history had suffered from dementia in recent years, staying out of the public eye. In addition, he reportedly had complications from COVID-19.

My earliest memory of Seaver was in a Cincinnati Reds uniform, shortly after leaving Metropolitans in a 1977 trade that shook The Big Apple. I saw a magazine photo of Seaver captured in the middle of his delivery. His back knee was almost touching the dirt. The Reds were still “The Big Red Machine”, with the likes of Pete Rose, Tony Pérez, George Foster and Ken Griffey, Sr. They were constantly on national television. Many weekends, I stayed with my grandparents and Grandpa always watched baseball. This was before cable, and the Reds got a lot of exposure on NBC’s Saturday Game of the Week, and ABC’s Monday Night Baseball.

In early 1983, we got cable TV. With it came New York City’s WOR-TV (channel 9) and WPIX (channel 11), who carried the Mets and Yankees, respectively. That season, Seaver returned to the Mets in a trade with the Reds. I finally had a chance to watch him pitch on a regular basis. Watching baseball on cable TV was the catalyst for my love of baseball, and Seaver was a part of it. “Tom Terrific” was on the downside of his long career, but he was still really good. He was 38 years old, with over 4,000 innings under his belt. As a result, the blazing fastball had vanished, replaced with guts and guile. Still, it was a delight to watch him pitch.

In 1985, by then with the Chicago White Sox, Seaver won his 300th career game against the Yankees in the Bronx. WPIX aired the game, with Bill White, Frank Messer and Phil Rizzuto on the call. It was a delight for me to watch, 14 years old at the time.

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Tom Seaver went on to win 16 games in 1985, and split the ’86 season between Chicago and the Boston Red Sox before calling it a career.

Seaver was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1992, earning 311 career wins. He logged 4,783 innings and 3,640 strikeouts (6th all time) with a lifetime 2.86 ERA. His career WAR, an amazing 109.9. Tom Terrific, indeed.

My thoughts are with his wife, Nancy and his children and family. Rest in Peace, Tom Seaver. Thank you for the childhood memories.