Cy Young: Ray and Wheeler were the most horses, MLB horses

Robbie rayDuring the last major league season, just six pitchers threw more than 190 innings in 2021. Four of them finished with an ERA of less than 2.85. And only two of the group, exceeded 240 strikeouts: Roobie Ray and Zack wheeler.

In a season when the role of starting pitcher strayed even further from traditional baseball standards, Ray of the Toronto Blue Jays and Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies were the most genuine mountainous “horses, horses” in the world. each league.

Ray and Wheeler are among their respective circuits finalists for the Cy Young Award, announced Wednesday by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). Rights Gerrit cole, the New York Yankees, and Lance Lynn, of the Chicago White Sox dispute the honor to Ray in the American League, while the rights Corbin burnes, of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Max scherzer, of the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers, challenge Wheeler in the National League.

In his second season with the Blue Jays, Ray was 13-7 and led the young circuit in starts (32), WAR (6.7), ERA (2.48), WHIP (1.04), innings (193.1), strikeouts (248). ) and adjusted effectiveness (154). In 23 of his starts he worked at least six innings.

Wheeler led all major league pitchers in WAR (7.6), innings (213.1), outs (640), complete games (3) and shutouts (2) and was fifth in ERA (2.78) and WHIP (1.01). The Phillies “Ace” led the National League with 247 strikeouts and worked seven or more innings in 17 of his 32 starts.

The Phillies haven’t produced a Cy Young winner since Roy Halladay in 2010. Left-hander Steve Carlton won the franchise’s top four (1972, 1977, 1980 and 1982), John Denny won it in 1983 and reliever Steve Bedrosian in 1987.

Halladay, who died in a plane crash in November 2017 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, was also the last Toronto pitcher to win the American League’s best pitcher award. Halladay won in 2003, while Roger Clemens received it in 1997 and 1998 and Pat Hentgen in 1996.

While Ray has no real competition (Cole was a luminary in the first half with a 2.66 ERA and 0.90 WHIP, but an average pitcher in the second half, in which he had 3.95 and 1.26; Lynn finished with 11-6, 2.69 , but only served 157.0 innings), Wheeler to two pitchers who were very dominant.

Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner from Cooperstown, was 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA and 236 strikeouts in 30 starts and 179.1 innings. Burnes was 11-5 and led MLB with a 2.43 ERA and in his league he was second in WHIP (1.01) and third in strikeouts (234), in 167.0 innings. His average of 1.83 walks per strikeout was third in baseball.