Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez has been closing in on Buchholz’s lead for the past month. Slowly chipping away at his ERA throughout August, King Felix sits just .05 points out of the lead with a 2.30 ERA in 30 starts. His strikeout count has Cy Young voters buzzing, as he leads the MLB with 209 K’s.
Also in the race to top Buchholz is Oakland youngster Trevor Cahill, who matches up against the Red Sox’ righty Friday night at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Cahill posts a 2.72 ERA through 25 starts and is definitely making a name for himself in just his second full season in the majors. His ERA made a small spike in his last two starts, jumping from 2.43 to 2.82 after allowing eight runs to the Yankees on Aug. 30. However, a strong showing in his last outing against the Angels brought it back down to 2.72.
Of these three right-handers, which pitcher has been the biggest surprise in the league this season? Has it been Buchholz? The Boston starter has proven he’s got the right stuff from the mound ever since he threw his no-hitter in 2007. While consistency has been an issue in the past for Buchholz ever since he returned from his injury in July, he has been nothing but lights-out for Boston.
Cahill has definitely come out of the woodwork in Oakland this year, surprising even his teammates with his resilient composure on the mound. After missing most of April with an elbow injury, Cahill’s development throughout the season has bolstered the Athletics’ rotation, especially after the injuries to veterans Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer.
Or has it been Hernandez, who has remained a pillar of strength in the rotation following the Cliff Lee trade. Running the rotation has served Hernandez well this season, as he continues to post dominant statistics in the American League.
Which ERA leader has been the biggest surprise in 2010? Text ‘SOX1’ for Boston’s Clay Buchholz or ‘SOX2’ for Oakland’s Trevor Cahill and ‘SOX3’ for Seattle’s Felix Hernandez.
