Oakland Athletics Pitcher Sonny Gray’s Chance At Cy Young Award Is Diminishing
Oakland Athletics’ pitcher Sonny Gray probably isn’t going to win the Cy Young this season. Gray has been stellar, but Astros’ starter Dallas Keuchel is taking a firm lead in the only race any of the A’s are even remotely still in. Gray will face off against former Athletic Scott Kazmir when the team takes on Houston tonight, but it would take a pretty spectacular outcome to launch Gray back into the lead ahead of Keuchel.
Keuchel has dropped his ERA to 2.29, besting Gray’s 2.36 by the slightest of margins. He has significantly more wins, with a 17-6 record compared to Gray’s 12-7 record. Keuchel is fifth in strikeouts, with 185, while Gray has just 152 – not even in the American League top ten.
More from White Cleat Beat
- Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
- Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
- Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
- San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
- Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen
In fact, the only category in which Gray still leads is batting average against. Gray’s BAA is .206, while Keuchel’s is .211. Keuchel has even tied him in complete games, with three each.
Despite those numbers, Gray’s age and status in the baseball world as an elite young pitcher might have given him an edge, but Keuchel is very close to taking his team to the playoffs. Locking down a division title might be the difference between this year’s Cy Young winner and loser, considering that very few other pitchers remain in the conversation.
It’s a disappointing result for Gray, who is having the best season of his career and has been more than impressive in nearly every start. But Keuchel is also having the season of his life, and the Astros still have a very good chance to make the playoffs and win. Like it or not, that win will have a big effect on the voters in charge of selecting the American League’s best pitcher.
And perhaps they’re right. Gray is astonishingly good, especially given his age and his minimal major league experience. There’s certainly no way to say that he isn’t deserving of the award. However, it’s possible that Keuchel really has pitched just a bit better. The numbers certainly side with him, although Gray’s results are likely skewered by poor defense and lack of run support.
Only the voters can decided, but it looks like this is yet another contest that won’t go the Oakland Athletics’ way in 2015.