The Yankees’ ace leads the AL with 20 victories, is second in innings pitched (224), sixth in ERA (3.05) and strikeouts (183) and ninth in WHIP (1.18).
That stat line would normally allow Sabathia to run away with the Cy Young Award in most seasons. But the 6-foot-7, 290-pound lefty has not been the best pitcher in the AL this year — by a long shot.
That distinction belongs to 24-year-old Mariners’ fireballer Felix Hernandez.
"King Felix" leads the AL in ERA (2.35), strikeouts (222), innings (233 2/3), quality starts (28), quality start percentage (88 percent) and opponents OPS (.592). The only problem: His record is just 12-11.
While Sabathia pitches for the championship contending New York Yankees, Hernandez takes the mound every fifth day for the Mariners, who are the worst team with the worst offense in the AL.
If Hernandez pitched for New York, he might have 23 or 24 wins at this point. Consequently, one would have to assume that if he pitched for the M’s, Sabathia might not even have a .500 record.
That’s how meaningless of a statistic the win-loss record is. It tells nothing about the merits of a pitcher, positively or negatively.
Unlike the MVP Award, the Cy Young does not necessarily or usually go to a pitcher on a winning ballclub. By that rationale, the amount of wins a pitcher has — which is almost directly related to his team’s overall success — should have nothing to do with Cy Young voting.
Hernandez is, hands down, the best pitcher in the AL this year. Sabathia has been great, but if he were given the award that’s supposed to go to the league’s top ace, it would be a major crime.
Do you think CC Sabathia should win the AL Cy Young Award? Share your opinion below.
