The three finalist nominees for all of the MLB Awards were announced, including the Cy Young. Those awards will be announced this week. So with that in mind, the Laracuente Ledger tosses in their unofficial ballot for the 2019 MLB Cy Young winners. And check out our picks for Rookie and Manager of the Years as well.
NL Cy Young Nominees
Jacob deGrom
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Max Scherzer
Ledger Picks Jacob deGrom- New York Mets
Over the last two seasons, one pitcher in the National League has been the benchmark, and that pitcher is Jacob deGrom. As compared to 2018, deGrom isn’t necessarily a unanimous pick, but Jacob is the clear winner. In 2019, deGrom pitched 204 innings to an 11-8 record and an ERA of 2.43. What makes deGrom so special isn’t really the velocity with which he pitches but rather the manner in which he pitches. Jacob deGrom is a pitcher; he changes speeds, he moves the ball up and down; in and out. This type of zone manipulation gives the batter in the box fits. And is part of the reason that deGrom is likely to receive his second consecutive National League Cy Young Award.
Now unlike 2018, this season, the NL Cy Young Award wasn’t such a runaway landslide for deGrom. Jacob had real competition from Max Scherzer and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Ryu had a lot of early momentum for this award, as deGrom struggled a bit in April. And at mid-season, Max Scherzer could have been the favorite, but a mediocre September knocks Scherzer down a few notches. And after April, deGrom would begin his ascent into once again being the most elite pitcher in the National League. And this being selected as our pick for the National League Cy Young Award winner.
Estimated Actual Winner: Jacob deGrom
AL Cy Young Nominees
Gerrit Cole
Charlie Morton
Justin Verlander
Ledger Picks Gerrit Cole- Houston Astros
When it comes to the American League nominees, it is dominated by the Houston Astros. Current Astro and former Astros, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Charlie Morton make up the finalist. And while these awards are based on empirical data, they can also have some personal bias. And looking at the 2019 season, one man stands out for me, and that’s Gerrit Cole.
During the 2019 campaign, Gerrit Cole pitched 212.1 innings to the tune of an ERA of 2.50 and a record of 20-5. And if you dive deeper into some of the advanced metrics, Cole’s FIP of 2.64 beats his competition. (Verlander 3.27, Morton 2.81). Cole would also strike out 326 batters and would have a K/9 of 13.8, both of which top the Majors. Verlander gives stiff competition but for my unofficial vote, Gerrit Cole is the 2019 AL Cy Young Award winner.
