Which matters more to you when determining who should win the Cy Young Award? (Details inside)-->?

Question

Which matters more to you when determining who should win the Cy Young Award? (Details inside)-->?

Answer 1

How funny is it that you ask about Kevin Millwood, when he was actually a really good pitcher when he was with the Atlanta Braves. He was one of the pitchers who pushed the Braves to the World Series in 1999. His stats that year were the following... IP: 228 W-L: 18-7 ERA: 2.68 SO: 205 WHIP: 0.996 Not to mention he finished in third place for the National League CY Young Award that year. It is funny just how much players can change to the point where people forget about them altogether. Honestly, I don't know what the deal is with choosing who gets the MVP and CY Young Awards. There have been many players over the years who I believed got robbed of that opprotunity. Not to mention that those awards were given to Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens WAY TOO OFTEN! When it comes down to it, I have found that the MLB gives these awards to who the fans want to see receive the award. I agree with you, it should be based soley upon wins, losses, and ERA, but that obviously isn't the case if you have Tim Lincecum winning the CY Young Award when he only had 15 wins last year.

Answer 2

I've got to side with sabrematricians on this one. When the only justification for CC Sabathia to win the AL Cy Young in 2010 is that he "has more wins," an uncontrolled statistic relating to how well and how much offense your team produces, Felix is for sure the front runner.



Felix leads over Sabathia and Price in every category that he manages as a pitcher. Like World Champions and rings, having a "W" is a team statistic, not an individual statistic that should play into Cy Young voting just because traditionalists tend to use outdated statistics.



Sabathia's ERA is 3.05 and, while it's true ERA isn't as definitive a statistic as most on behalf of Felix, it's a step up for those that vote on the Cy Young award from wins, that's for sure. Sabathia is a 20 game winner and nobody can take that away from him, but with a mighty Yankee offense a wimpy, wimpy Mariner offense supporting Felix Hernandez, you've got to take Felix as he STILL post superior stats in categories that he can manage as a pitcher.



Felix Hernandez leads in ERA, WHIP, Strikeouts, Innings Pitched, xFIP (normalizes ballpark factors in opposition of FIP), WAR (Wins above replacement) and several other controlled statistics.



I'll simplify this -- you put CC Sabathia on the Seattle Mariners and their oh-so mighty (sarcasm) offense, does he post 20 wins? The fact that CC plays for the Yankees and Felix for the Mariners is a HUGE difference. The best offense in the league against one that is among the worst, if not the worst.



I think the award goes to Felix ultimately.

Answer 3

Take a look at Hernandez's numbers this year and you will see how little the win-loss record matters. He pitched games where he only gave up one or two runs, pitched 8 innings, yet still lost or received a no decision. If Hernandez were pitching for the Yankees, I think he would easily have more than 20 wins. If your definition of a good pitcher is his win-loss record, then Randy Wolf (also 12-11) is as good a pitcher as Felix Hernandez, and we know that's not true.



The fact that Hernandez has a 2.35 ERA in the AL and leads MLB with 222 Ks should be enough for him to win the Cy Young. Stick Sabathia in Seattle and I think he would have a record worse than 12-11.

Answer 4

I just personally think Felix shouldn't penalized for being a bad team. While it's true that it's not like ALL of his losses were ones where he gave up just one run or something, he has better numbers than, for example, CC Sabathia in almost every statistic. It's undeniable that he HAS been a better pitcher this year. Sabathia's having another great year and has been more valuable to his team, but the Cy Young isn't the same as the MVP - it's for who was the most dominant pitcher. In fact in an article I read by Jayson Stark around the time I think CC was at 18 wins he said how stats showed that if Felix pitched on the Yankees he'd already have 20 wins, even a couple more than that. I think that says a lot. I hope the voters are able to do what they last year w/ Zach Greinke and recognize who has really been the best pitcher this year without looking at wins, a pretty meaningless stat in my opinion.

Answer 5

Sorry Scoots but I completely disagree. This was the same thing last year when some people were saying Greinke didn't deserve the Cy Young. That's bull. The Cy Young should go to the best pitcher period. No pitcher should be penalized because they play on a bad team. Wins and losses are a team effort. ERA, WHIP, innings pitched, complete games, etc. those are the things that determine how good a pitcher is. Wins and Losses are from the whole team but just happen to get credited to the pitcher.

Answer 6

I was always taught that the Cy Young Award is given to the guy who is the BEST pitcher in the league, which Felix Hernandez appears to be. He has done very well, his 11 losses is a reflection of how well, or not so well, his team performs when he is on the mound.



Sabathia and Price are having great years, but Hernandez definitely, in my opinion is "the best pitcher."

Answer 7

I believe CC Sabathia deserves the Cy Young award for a few reasons. 1- first time to get to 20 wins in a season -- and that's saying a lot because he's only the 6th guy to win 20 in a season since 2005. 2- helping his team to get to the playoffs. I always believed that the MVP and Cy Young should be given to those who are not only outstanding like Miguel Cabrera (possible MVP) and King Felix (possible Cy Young), but who also have a major impact on getting their team to the post season and getting another chance to win the world series -- because let's face it: the object of baseball is to WIN games and get to the World Series and possibly WIN the World Series. CC Sabathia, already with a World Series ring has proven himself time and time again that he can play with the elite of the elite AND play under post season pressure unlike the other Cy Young award candidates. No disrespect to the other guys, and obviously being a huge Yankee fan has an impact on that, but - winning 20+ games in a season and helping the team to get to the playoffs and World Series always gets the nod over the other individual stats on a team that misses the post season. Obviously everyone has their opinions, and I'm sure many agree with mine, and also many disagree, but that's the beauty of baseball. Everyone gets to put their two cents in =)

Answer 8

The Yankees have scored 792 runs and the Mariners have scored 472. That's right, the Yankees have scored 320 more runs than the Mariners this year which is just completely unbelievable.



Look, Sabathia is a great pitcher. He is one Yankee player that I like and respect but don't you think if you put Sabathia on the Mariners this year he'd have about the same number of wins as Hernandez does? Basically you seem to be saying that Sabathia should win over Hernandez because he gets a huge amount more run support. That doesn't seem fair to me.

Answer 9

It's a tough debate cause Hernandez is definitely one of the best in the game. However, you hit the nail on the head, his record is only 12-11 and that just don't cut it for a Cy Young winner. The bottom line is you get paid to win games, and even though the Mariners are garbage and they don't give him run support, you can't give him the Cy Young with a record barely above .500. When Greinke won it he managed to go 16-8, much different than 12-11.



This year I'd give it to Sabathia, he has been the rock of the Yankee rotation. Petitte went down with an injury, Burnett has been atrocious all year, Vazquez is just as bad as he was the first time around, and Hughes is still a work in progress. The team that wins the AL East could heavily influence the voting.



The Yankees just beat the Rays. They're lead by 1.5 in the division, and now they are up 2 games in the wins column.

Answer 10

Wins help, but honestly they are overrated in the CY Young race if you want the truth.

Most of the Yankee pitchers have 13-20 wins and their ERA and strike ratio aren't very high (with the exception of CC- who I think is overrated because he gets a lot of run support every-time he pitches).



Anywho, you need all three to be a CY Young candidate, if you don't have two out of three, then you shouldn't be a candidate or all three for that matter. King Felix has two out of three, but when you

don't have the wins, then you shouldn't be a CY Young candidate.



You know who I think should win the CY Young award that has been consistent all season and started the ASG?. David Price. (and Yes Im being bias about this- but for a good reason)



I bet you NOT one person talks about him being the CY Young anymore ever since Felix and CC have come up. He may not have the wins that CC does, he may not have the ERA like King Felix

does. Or the strikeouts for that matter. But he has more wins than King Felix does, and the lower ERA than CC does. When you have both the amount of wins- and the ERA. You deserve the CY Young in my opinion and that's why DP deserves it.

Answer 11

I disagree. Wins are a team accomplishment just like losses are. In Felix's 11 losses, the Mariners have scored a total of 14 runs.



Price and CC are very good, but Cy Young should go to the BEST PITCHER. Wins are highly overrated as a pitcher and here is one good example why ... Phillip Hughes has 16 wins and his ERA is nearly 2 runs higher than Felix Hernandez's.



Pitchers cannot control how many runs they get, or how well they're defense plays. Pitchers can control however how many hits they give up, how many walks they give up, how many strike outs they produce, and to an extent how many innings they pitch.



Lets compare CC and Felix



Felix -- More innings pitched than CC, less hits given up than CC, less walks given up than CC, nearly 40 more strike outs than CC, more quality starts than CC, more complete games than CC, a lower whip than CC, and finally more shut outs than CC.



Why in the world would anybody think that CC is having a better year than Felix and deserves the Cy Young more than Felix?



Pitchers are paid to get wins, and according to every single statistic, Felix has given his team a better chance to win than CC has. The Yankees offense is why CC has so many danm wins.



I can all the same things about Felix and David Price as well...





Last time I checked, Cy Young goes to the best pitcher in their league, and according to the stats, Felix is having a far better year.







EDIT -- 11 losses shouldn't matter. Cy Young goes to the best pitcher... Am I correct?? If not, then please explain what the Cy Young is...

Type into Google "Cy Young Award" ... it clearly states that the award is givin to the best pitcher in their respective league. Felix is hands down the best pitcher in his league. You can't give a legit argument for why anybody else has had a better season.

Answer 12

The problem is the Cy Young is supposed to be the best pitcher award. Felix has been the best pitcher. And some people may say, well he plays in the AL West. However, I feel his resume speaks for itself. And when he's given up 1 run to the Yankees and pitched 26 innings in those three games, I feel that seals it. He's been the best pitcher in baseball. I don't care how many games his team has blown for him. He's had like 5 games his team gave away.



IP, CGs, Ks, ERA! He's just great!

Answer 13

I would base it more on ERA,WHIP, Strikeouts.... etc. Wins and losses aren't based completely on the pitcher. You have to remember he is pitching for the Mariners, or in other words, he has absolutely no offensive support. ERA is probably the most important.

Answer 14

so, Scooter, your saying a 30-0 guy should win with a 50.00 ERA, 75 Whip, compared to a guy with a 7.00 ERA, and a 20 Whip, but an 11-11 record?, if Hernandez played on a decent team like the Jays, im sure hed have WAY more wins.,

Answer 15

ERA!!!!!!!!! not wins if felix was on the yankees he would have the most wins its not his fault his team cant score he cant post 0s all season

Answer 16

Sorry, Scooter, but we are all piling on you on this one. To my understanding there are three principal stats that the baseball writers consider and weigh in voting on the Cy Young, Wins, Ks and ERA. King Felix has a 2.35 ERA and has 222 Ks, both category leaders. The voters showed last year that they would vote for a pitcher on a bad team when they gave it to Zach Greinke and they discounted wins in favor of other statistics in deciding between two pitchers for good teams when they passed over Josh Beckett and his 20 wins for some big glommy lefty who pitched for Cleveland.

Answer 17

and I feel that people who think the guy with 20 wins should always win the Cy Young is equally as ridiculous. Last year Scott Feldman had like 18 wins with 5 games left, on pace for 20 wins, with like a ERA of 5, and people thought he should win it

Answer 18

Win's and how well a pitcher is able to stop a team's losing streak every four or five day's.

Answer 19

I think the people who are saying Felix is the definite Cy Young candidate is ridiculous just because of his ERA, and I feel that people who think the guy with 20 wins should always win the Cy Young is equally as ridiculous. Last year Scott Feldman had like 18 wins with 5 games left, on pace for 20 wins, with like a ERA of 5, and people thought he should win it



If a guy goes 13-12 with a 2.8 ERA, a guy goes 16-8 with a 3.4 ERA, and a guy goes 20-5 with a 4.0 ERA, I'd give it to the 16-8 guy.



WHIP and K/BB ratio is alright as well, and IP.

Answer 20

Disagree. Sabbathia should be automatically disqualified since he plays for the Yankees and sold out for the money, not the game.

Answer 21

ERA and strikeouts



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