The Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Tuesday the finalists for its four major awards, and the three Cy Young Award candidates in each league are no surprise.
Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez lead Cy Young Award finalists
Hernandez won the award in 2010. Kershaw won previously in 2011 and 2013.
The three finalists for the 2014 National League Cy Young Award are Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers, Johnny Cueto of the Reds and Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals. The American League finalists are Felix Hernandez of the Mariners, Corey Kluber of the Indians and Chris Sale of the White Sox.
The winners of the Cy Young Awards will be announced live on MLB Network on Wednesday, Nov. 12, beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
Hernandez, winner of the 2010 AL Cy Young Award, was 15-6 with a 2.14 ERA in 2014 for Seattle, leading the league in ERA, and finished second in innings (236) and third in strikeouts (248).
Kluber had a breakout season for Cleveland, going 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA in 34 starts, with a career-high 269 strikeouts in 235⅔ innings. After the All-Star break, Kluber had a 1.73 ERA in 14 starts.
Sale was 12-4 for Chicago and finished second with a 2.17 ERA, but was limited to just 26 starts thanks to a flexor muscle strain in his left arm in April and May. Sale struck out 208 in just 174 innings.
Kershaw missed five weeks early in the season with a muscle strain in his upper back, but is still the favorite to win his third NL Cy Young Award in four seasons. The Dodgers ace was 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA in just 27 starts, with 239 strikeouts in 198⅓ innings. Kershaw led the majors in wins, strikeout rate and ERA, the latter for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season.
Cueto had his best season for Cincinnati, going 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA in 34 starts. He led the National League with 243⅔ innings, tied for the league lead with 242 strikeouts, and finished second to Kershaw in ERA.
Wainwright had a similar season, albeit without the strikeouts, going 20-9 with a 2.38 ERA in 32 starts for St. Louis, with 179 strikeouts and only 50 walks in 227 innings. This is the fourth season Wainwright has finished in the top three in Cy Young balloting, finishing second in 2010 and 2013, and third in 2009.
Cy Young balloting is conducted with two BBWAA members from each league city, with each voter listing five candidates on the ballot. Points are awarded on a 7-4-3-2-1 basis, with seven points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote, and so on.
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