5 Best Bets To Win The NL CY Young Award

Baseball is rapidly approaching, and what better time than to look at the best picks for the NL CY Young award. We got to see the Milwaukee Brewers star pitcher Corbin Burnes win this award at the end of last season. Could we see him repeat, or will a new challenger take over the throne? Let’s take a look at five players that are in good position to win it this year.

5. Walker Buehler

Walker Buehler could be preparing to step up for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team was hesitant with Clayton Kershaw in free agency and were likely worried about his long injury history. Buehler has an opportunity to take advantage of that concern and step up for his squad. He pitched for 207.2 innings last season, the most in his career to date. He also ranked third in the league with a 2.47 ERA. The 27-year-old is entering his prime and could have one of his best years ever.

4. Zack Wheeler

Zack Wheeler may not have the best stats in the league, but he certainly didn’t lack in the innings pitched department. Last year, Wheeler had pitched 213.1 innings, which was enough to be the most in the league. Not only that, but his ERA stayed pretty high at a 2.78. The fact that he has been so durable and consistent for the Philadelphia Phillies gives him a chance to compete for the award.

3. Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer is certainly accustomed to accolades at this point in his career. The veteran pitcher for the New York Mets has won three CY Young awards in his career, with his most recent coming in 2017. Scherzer just inked a large three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets to create a nightmare for opposing batters this upcoming season. Despite being 37 years old, Scherzer is still able to get it done at a high level.

2. Corbin Burnes

As mentioned earlier, Burnes was the previous winner of the NL CY Young award. This past year he was able to put together and ERA of 2.43 while striking out 12.61 batters per nine innings. Batters were having a seriously difficult time hitting straight up on his pitches at all in 2021. He was leading the league in barrel percentage allowed at 3.1 percent. This stat means that batters weren’t able to square up on Burnes often when he was pitching. The reigning champion should always be heavily considered to win the award the year after, and Burnes is no exception.

1. Jacob deGrom

Jacob deGrom has been one of the best pitchers in the world throughout the last couple of years. His stats are consistently high and it’s the reason that he is projected to win this award. In the last four years, he has won two CY Young awards and hasn’t ever pitched below a 2.43 ERA. To make his numbers even better, he had a K/9 of 14.28 compared to just 1.08 walks per inning last season. The only issue for deGrom could be his health, but if he doesn’t get injured then he could be dangerous.