The third of four days of Baseball Writers Association of America awards this week features a pair of hotly contested, close calls. The Cy Young Award winners in both the National League and American League will be announced on Wednesday evening.
Cy Young Awards 2015: Time, TV schedule and finalists
The announcement will be made by MLB Network beginning at 6 p.m. ET, with Greg Amsinger hosting the hour-long show, and BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O’Connell announcing both awards. The top three finishers for the four BBWAA awards were announced last week.
National League finalists
All three candidates have a rightful claim to winning the award, with no real bad choice in the group. Greinke led MLB in ERA (1.66) and WHIP (0.844), the lowest marks in 20 and 15 years, respectively, and had a scoreless streak of 45 2/3 consecutive innings, the longest since Orel Hershiser’s record-setting 59 straight innings in 1988.
Arrieta led MLB in wins (22), complete games (four) and shutouts (three), threw a no-hitter on Aug. 30, was close enough in ERA (1.77), and set an MLB record with an 0.75 ERA after the All-Star break, in 15 starts. Kershaw had a 2.13 ERA, his highest in three years, led MLB in innings (232⅔), Fielding-Independent Pitching (1.99) and strikeout rate (33.8 percent), and with 301 strikeouts was the first pitcher in 13 years to reach the 300 mark.
Kershaw, who won the NL Cy Young Award in 2011, 2013 and 2014 and finished second in 2012, is the first pitcher ever to finish in the top three in Cy Young voting in five consecutive seasons.
American League finalists
Keuchel blossomed in his fourth big league season, leading the AL in wins (20) and innings (232) while setting career bests in ERA (2.48) and strikeouts (216). Price, who won the AL Cy Young Award in 2012 and finished second in 2010, was 18-5 with 225 strikeouts and led the AL in ERA (2.45), splitting time with the Tigers and Blue Jays. After joining Toronto, Price was 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts and helped key their run to the AL East division title.
Gray is the youngest of the finalists at 25, but was a formidable force in Oakland, going 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA in 31 starts in Oakland.
Should Price win, he would join Rick Sutcliffe as the only pitchers to win a Cy Young Award after getting traded in season. Sutcliffe began the 1984 season with the AL's Cleveland Indians, but won the NL Cy Young Award after going 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 20 starts after getting traded to the Chicago Cubs.
How to watch
Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV: MLB Network
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