Should closers be considered for the Cy Young Award?

Question

On the MLB Predictor, they have Raphael Soriano listed at number 4. He was at the third spot just a week ago? What has he done that Clay Bucholtz hasn't besides saves. Soriano has pitched 60 innings? Clay has pitched 170, and the same goes to the leaders. Just because Soriano comes out and has a good inning means they should include him on the list with David Price and C.C Sabbithia who have pitched 140-160 innings more and still have terrific ERA along with strikeouts? Jon lester just took third place, that doesn't seem fair as he still has a 2.96 ERA after 200 innings! Even Felix Hernandez, look at his ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched?

Same goes with Heath Bell. Why is he third? Again 65 innings? Really. Jimenez has pitched 200 innings with an ERA under 3! Adam Wainwright is only spot above and he has pitched 230 innings with still a low ERA. It's not fair to regular starting pitchers.

BQ: Shouldn't closers only be considered for the Rolaids Relief Award and not the Cy Young?

ADDITIONAL FACT: I do understand that closers have won the Cy Young. Some closers like Rollie FIngers would actually pitch three to four innings to get a save sometimes. That is respectable rather than these 1 inning "specialist". Other closers didn't deserve it all just because they went 80 innings and picked up fifty saves.

Also I know its just a predictor but still, closers should be left off the list.

Answer 1

In today's baseball I think they should. The closers role has evolved over the years into a very important position. Think about this. How many closers who were elite 5 years ago are still elite today. Everybody says that just coming in to picth 1 inning is supposed to be so easy but look at how many closers flame out in just a few years.



My tendency is still to favor the starting pitchers though all things being equal but if a closer is having a great season & is part of a winning team I think they should be given consideration.

Answer 2

Unless a closer starts pitching two innings every time out, throws 150+ innings and piles up 80+ saves, I don't think they should be considered. The Cy Young Award should go to the best pitcher - in my opinion, the best pitcher is the one who contributes most to his team winning games and closers just don't play nearly as large a role as starters in that regard.



A big part of being a great pitcher is contributing innings, and that's what starters do far more than relievers. I understand that a closer's 60 innings may have been very effective, but there has to be a value placed on the starter's 100+ additional innings. I would rather have an effective starter for 200 innings than a great closer for 60 who makes me fill those additional 140 innings with an average pitcher.



I checked Win Shares for the past few seasons, since I think it's a decent measure and at least shows on some level the contribution a player has made to his team's win total. It's very rare that a reliever even cracks the top 10, and there's just no way they can compete with a starter. They can have their own award, but there's no way they should be competing for the Cy Young award with players who contribute so much more.

Answer 3

I disagree, the Cy Young Award is given to the best pitcher in each league for that season. In most cases like this year I would say that the best pitcher is a starter. This year I would say that the award should go to King Felix due to his dominance. However I think that closers are not just specialists like set up men or middle relievers they have perhaps the most difficult job in all of the league. Just look every year there are closers that just lose their stuff. With the exception of Mariano Rivera there have been so many guys like Brad Lidge, Eric Gagne, even Papelbon who struggle to get outs for the entire season. In short I think that most of the time you are correct but when a closer comes out and is completely dominant as a pitcher in the most pressure packed circumstances I think that they should be in the running.

Answer 4

I do not think closer should be considered to win the Cy Young. A good closer is really important to a team and rewarding a good year with the Rolaids Relief Award is good enough. The fact is closing is easier to do, then pitch as a starter the whole season.



1) John Smoltz, was moved to closer after shoulder surgery.

2) Kerry Wood, moved to closer after many injuries.

3) Eric Gange, COULD NOT start, almost released, sent bullpen to save career.

Answer 5

Absolutely closers should be considered for the award- they do the job they're given. Every pitcher should be considered. Starters win most of the awards, but in years where no starter really has an outstanding year, closers sneak in and win the award. Or, in the extreme case of a guy like Eric Gagne, in the year he set the consecutive saves record and was completely unhittable (cough, cough, steroids, cough, steroids, cough), he deserved the Cy Young award. With fewer and fewer pitchers throwing complete games, a lot of their wins are preserved by closers (and a setup guy or two as a bridge).

Answer 6

i think of closers can and would settle for the Cy youthful award whilst it is merited. there have been various seasons with out standout commencing pitchers (besides as some seasons wherein a starter has gained even nevertheless a reliever has been extra useful). As Chip pronounced, no longer many relievers have gained the CYA. And people who've gained it have grew to become in dominating performances, for the main area (it each and every now and then facilitates if no starter has an extremely dominant year). yet there is not any reason to think of that a glass who's in touch in a million,000 or extra confrontations with hitters won't be able to be as useful as a hitter who bats 650 or seven-hundred situations, even nevertheless the hitter is a bigger determinant interior the end results of an at bat than the pitcher is. or maybe nevertheless pitchers in user-friendly terms pitch each and every 5th day or so, it is not unreasonable to argue that an exact flight commencing pitcher has 5x as a lot result on the interest wherein he pitches than a typical hitter would. For the main area, known gamers win MVP awards...and that i think of it somewhat is the way it is going to be. yet each and every now and then, a glass would have this way of dominant year which you ought to provide him stable MVP attention. i've got in no way had a difficulty with relievers prevailing the Cy youthful Awards or Pitchers prevailing MVP awards. In the two case, they ought to have incredibly astonishing seasons with the intention to even end close to the precise in balloting for those awards. in the event that they win it, stable for them.

Answer 7

i dont think so. mariano rivera is not eligible for blowing a bunch of saves in the last few weeks

Answer 8

Absolutely, and they are. Rivera has been considered before, maybe even won. I'd look it up, but don't care enough.