The 2009 National League Cy Young race is an interesting situation. There are at least two pitchers who make definitive cases for the coveted award, and choosing the winner will be a difficult decision for those forced to vote.
While some great pitching was pretty commonplace throughout the entire National League, the race really boils down to two pitchers. Guys like Matt Cain, Adam Wainwright, Jair Jurrjens, Johan Santana, Wandy Rodriguez, and others were absolutely great this season, with many of them having career years.
Between the St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Carpenter and the San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum, the two pitchers pieced together two of the best pitching seasons in baseball that I've witnessed over the last few years. A quick look at their numbers would lead you to agree.
Looking at the stats doesn't tell the whole story with either of these pitchers. That's perhaps what makes this race even more difficult to call, as if it wasn't already hard enough. It's almost painful to deny either of these incredible pitchers of an award they deserve. Maybe they'll somehow tie for the award.
Tim Lincecum brought the San Francisco Giants back into contention. A steady presence at starting pitcher through the entire season, his numbers were incredible. His low ERA was 2.48 was amongst the best in baseball, and he led all pitchers with 261 strikeouts.
How about Carpenter though? Having missed two seasons in a row, he came back and was better than ever. With an NL best 2.24 earned run average, and NL best 1.01 WHIP, and a 17-4 win-loss record, Carpenter was as good as it gets.
Who deserves it though? Well, that's all up to the voters. I would give Lincecum a three in five chance of winning it, but I could really see it going either way considering the dramatics of Carpenter's performance.
While some great pitching was pretty commonplace throughout the entire National League, the race really boils down to two pitchers. Guys like Matt Cain, Adam Wainwright, Jair Jurrjens, Johan Santana, Wandy Rodriguez, and others were absolutely great this season, with many of them having career years.
Between the St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Carpenter and the San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum, the two pitchers pieced together two of the best pitching seasons in baseball that I've witnessed over the last few years. A quick look at their numbers would lead you to agree.
Looking at the stats doesn't tell the whole story with either of these pitchers. That's perhaps what makes this race even more difficult to call, as if it wasn't already hard enough. It's almost painful to deny either of these incredible pitchers of an award they deserve. Maybe they'll somehow tie for the award.
Tim Lincecum brought the San Francisco Giants back into contention. A steady presence at starting pitcher through the entire season, his numbers were incredible. His low ERA was 2.48 was amongst the best in baseball, and he led all pitchers with 261 strikeouts.
How about Carpenter though? Having missed two seasons in a row, he came back and was better than ever. With an NL best 2.24 earned run average, and NL best 1.01 WHIP, and a 17-4 win-loss record, Carpenter was as good as it gets.
Who deserves it though? Well, that's all up to the voters. I would give Lincecum a three in five chance of winning it, but I could really see it going either way considering the dramatics of Carpenter's performance.
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