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A couple of longtime Detroit Tigers are in line to win the Cy Young award this year. The only problem is that both guys are now members of different organizations.
The only 20-game winner in all of baseball is one Rick Porcello of the Boston Red Sox. Porcello is a dominating 20-4, and that includes a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss on Wednesday night against the Orioles.
The 27-year-old righty has finally put it all together this season. He’s exhibited pinpoint control, walking a scant 29 hitters while striking out 167. And for a guy that typically would finish the year with about 170-175 innings pitched, he is already over 200 with a few starts left to go. It has been a career year for Porcello, and he is one of the biggest reasons the Red Sox are holding on to a slim lead in the AL East, the league’s most competitive division.
There will be some clamoring for Baltimore’s lights-out closer, Zach Britton, to win the award. Yet, while he has been superb (43 saves, 0.61 ERA), having less than 60 innings pitched with only a couple of weeks left in the season represents far too light a workload. There’s a reason that kickers don’t win MVPs in the NFL -- they’re simply not on the field enough to really qualify.
Can Scherzer Get #2?
Over in the Senior Circuit, it has been another brilliant campaign for Max Scherzer. He’s already got one Cy Young to his credit, and will have a good chance of doubling that total as the 2016 regular season draws to a close.
Mad Max has a whopping 251 strikeouts, best in the bigs. Surprisingly, for a guy that racks up as many K’s as Scherzer does, this would be his first time pacing either league in that category. His 16 victories (16-7) are also the most in the NL for anyone not on the Chicago Cubs. (Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta both have 17.)
That is where Scherzer’s stiffest competition lies in snagging the award. The Cubs not only have a pair of guys leading the league in wins, but a third pitcher that is outperforming both of them. Second-year man Kyle Hendricks has a ridiculous 2.03 ERA (lowest in majors), 15 wins to go with it, and nearly threw a no-hitter against St. Louis his last time out. But if the old “teammates split votes” rationale comes to fruition, Scherzer could be the recipient of that good fortune.
2014 -- What Could Have Been
In hindsight, that 2014 Tigers team should have been a whole lot better. That was the last season in Detroit for both Porcello and Scherzer, and they each had excellent years. Oh, and a couple of other guys were on the staff, too: David Price and Justin Verlander. Somehow, that stacked group of hurlers couldn’t manage a single victory against the Orioles during a three-game sweep. (Oddly enough, the O’s would get swept four straight in the ALCS against KC.)
For an organization like the Tigers that has struggled with starting pitching all season long, it would be a tough pill to swallow if both leagues handed the hardware to a couple of their most recent alumni.
It must be especially difficult for Brad Ausmus to watch SportsCenter at night. Here he is trying to coax five competent innings from Anibal Sanchez or Matt Boyd, or even get Jordan Zimmermann past the first; elsewhere, Max and Rick, guys that he had on his club just two years ago, are mowing down opposing lineups every five days.
The pitching staff in Detroit does have a bright future. Michael Fulmer is a strong candidate for AL Rookie of the Year and Daniel Norris just continues to get better (Tigers 4-0 in his last four outings). Along with Boyd, that’s a trio of promising pitchers, none of whom are over the age of 25. Mix in the resurgent Justin Verlander, and the franchise has much to look forward to from its pitching staff in 2017 and beyond.
But in the here and now, the most dazzling work is being done by ex-Tigers.
And they could very well walk away with a pair of trophies to prove it.
