AL Cy Young : Who SHOULD get it?

[Lynch]

The push is on in Minnesota to get pitcher Johan Santana his second consecutive Cy Young Award. The Twins media relations staff handed out an American League Cy Young Watch release, noting past AL CY Young winners with less than 20 wins. Santana (15-7) has just one start left this season and would need a win to match the lowest win total of any non-relief pitcher to win the award. David Cone had 16 wins in 1994 when he won the Cy Young.

In comparison to Cy Young candidates Bartolo Colon, Jon Garland and Cliff Lee, Santana leads in

• ERA
• innings pitched
• fewest hits allowed
• fewest runs allowed
• strikeouts
• quality starts
• opponents on base percentage
• opponents slugging percentage
• lowest opponents batting average

Meanwhile, Santana has the lowest run support of the four pitchers at 4.65. Of Santana's seven losses and 10 no-decisions, he has allowed three runs or fewer in 10 of those games and two runs or fewer in six games. Santana leads all Major League starters in ERA and opponents batting average since the All-Star break.

[Lynch]

Is "opponents on base percentage" basically the same thing as WHIP? If not, we can add WHIP to that list as well.

[DirtyKash]

Well obviously, 1994 was the strike year, so that's why Cone won the award with so few wins. Santana has it tough, it's all Colon as it stands.

[Lynch]

Colon probably will win it, but Santana is the one that SHOULD.... and I'm not saying that just as a Twins homer.... the guy's numbers are better than anyone, other than Wins and the run support explains that completely.

[DirtyKash]

The thread clearly says, "Who's going to get it?" No ambiguity there.

[Hmark6]

Which question are you asking us? The title of the thread says who's going to get it? But your your poll says who should get it?

David Cone won 16 games in 23 starts. Johan has won 15 in 32 starts. .696 Win% compared to .469! Coney probably could have won 22 or 23 games in '94.

Colon has obviously gotten better run support than Santana. I don't think the other 2 are in the conversation for very long. So,

Subjectively: I think Santana SHOULD get it.

Objectively: I know Colon WILL get it.

[Fishercat]

Santana should get it...but my guess is that Colon wll get it, or maybe Rivera.

[Lynch]

The thread clearly says, "Who's going to get it?" No ambiguity there.

The poll says "who SHOULD get it".


I'll edit the title of the thread.

[Lynch]

David Cone won 16 games in 23 starts. Johan has won 15 in 32 starts. .696 Win% compared to .469! Coney probably could have won 22 or 23 games in '94.

Cone only had 23 starts due to the strike season in '94... who knows what would have happened in the last 2 months.


As for the 17 non-wins for Santana, the stats at the bottom of the first thread explain that a little bit, and in all fairness to Johan, should definitely be considered by the voting panel.

Santana has the lowest run support of the four pitchers at 4.65. Of Santana's seven losses and 10 no-decisions, he has allowed three runs or fewer in 10 of those games and two runs or fewer in six games. Santana leads all Major League starters in ERA and opponents batting average since the All-Star break.

BTW: Other than wins, what other stat/category does Colon have Santana beat in?

(and yes, I'm aware of the Division title)

[DirtyKash]

BTW: Other than wins, what other stat/category does Colon have Santana beat in?

Walks allowed (Santana 43, Colon 41) and Fielding Percentage (Santana .949, Colon 1.000).

[Hmark6]

Cone only had 23 starts due to the strike season in '94... who knows what would have happened in the last 2 months.)

Yeah, this was already established by D-Kash, thats why I was pointing out winning percentage. My point was, it is a bad comparison for you (the Twins) to make. I should have been more clear.

[Halladay_is_God]

Colon will get it

I voted Santana since I fell he should get it but Colon has 5 more wins (as of now) then Santana and those 5 wins goes a long way in the voters' minds

[nyjunc]

Call me a homer but Mariano Rivera should win it, he was unhittable most of the year and there is not a clear cut starter this year like santana was last year that deserves it mroe than Mariano.

[DirtyKash]

Eh, just because there's no clear cut winner doesn't mean that a reliever should win it; it just makes the voting that much closer. Not all awards have to be won unanimously or in a landslide vote.

[nyjunc]

Eh, just because there's no clear cut winner doesn't mean that a reliever should win it; it just makes the voting that much closer. Not all awards have to be won unanimously or in a landslide vote.

I don't think a reliever SHOULD win it but a dominating closer like Mariano deserves it for what he has done this year. He had a bad start the first 2 games then was unhittable for 3 mos before hitting a brief rough stretch and then picking it up again. 43 saves, 1.40 ERA, .87 WHIP, .176 BA against- those are CY worthy #s.