MLB 2011: An overview of the Cy Young Award candidates – Part 2
Ian Kennedy has been by far the most valued pitcher this season. His performances have not only helped the Arizona Diamondbacks claim the top notch in the National League West division, but have also helped them emerge as strong candidates for the postseason.
If the Diamondbacks do proceed to the postseason and manage to perform well there, the right-handed starting pitcher might also be named as the Most Valuable Player for Arizona at least, if not National League.
While the probability of the Cy Young Award going to one of the three pitchers from Philadelphia Phillies remains high, ruling out the possibility of Kennedy grabbing the prestigious award would not do justice to the stature he has shown this season. He
is among the top-three candidates likely to bag the honour this year.
The Atlanta Braves are drawn in the NL East division with the Philadelphia Phillies but they have shown strong character and are still possible candidates to make it through to the postseason, through the Wild Card entry, however. The Braves have a well-knit
unit and their teamwork has been the key to their success. One player, who has aided them with top-quality closing, is Craig Kimbrel.
The right-handed relief pitcher has bagged the most saves in the NL and leads the list with a significant margin. Kimbrel has had just two no-decision games in his last nine appearances on the mound which include a streak of five-consecutive saves. He has
not lost a game in this stretch and if the Braves make it through to the postseason, Kimbrel would have a major hand in it. It is worth mentioning here that Kimbrel has the best ERA on the circuit and is the only relief pitcher to have around 100 strike-outs
this season.
Another relief pitcher who is a strong contender for the Cy Young Award is the bearded Brian Wilson of San Francisco Giants. The All-Star closer, who saw the NL prevail in the All-Star Game, is having the best season of his career. He might have lost the
stronghold of winning the award when the Giants were toppled by the Diamondbacks for a possible postseason berth, but his performance this season can still not be undermined.
Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels from the Philadelphia Phillies have been strong this season. Both of them have complimented Roy Halladay extremely well from the mound and are thus strong candidates to bag the Cy Young Award this season.
Both pitchers have identical win-loss records but Hamels has a superior earned-run average and Lee leads in strike-outs with a significant margin. Where other candidates have shown solo performances, the Phillies have succeeded as a team. They have more
candidates than any other team and thus the probability of any of them, Roy Halladay most probably, taking the award.
However, Clayton Kershaw and Ian Kennedy cannot be ruled out as possible winners. Kershaw has given hope to the Los Angeles Dodgers of an improved team performance next season while Kennedy has been at the core of guiding the Arizona Diamondbacks past the
San Francisco Giants in the NL West division.
Analysing the importance of each performance as far as benefit to the team is concerned, I would back Kennedy for the 2011 Cy Young Award. It will be interesting to see how things shape out in the postseason.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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