4 Early Favorites for the NL Cy Young Award
By Sean Facey
An intriguing mix of veterans and rising stars populate the upper echelon of the National League's pitching ranks. Here are four early favorites from that crowd to win the NL Cy Young Award.
4. Kyle Hendricks
Hendricks seems to be closing in on the form that netted him the award in 2016. He's posted a 3.11 ERA with 71 strikeouts through 12 starts and has quietly been one of the most reliable weapons on the pitching staff for the Chicago Cubs this year. After a scalding hot month of May, Hendricks is looking to continue his dominance throughout the summer.
3. Luis Castillo
The young Cincinnati Reds star has fallen off a bit from his hot start but still owns a 2.38 ERA. He's striking out 10.7 batters per nine innings and has given the Reds a true ace that they haven't had in a long while. He'll be tested playing in Cincinnati at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, especially over the summer as the weather continues to heat up. But thus far, he's been about as good as anyone.
2. Mike Soroka
Soroka would be the talk of the game if not for the next name on this list. In 10 starts for the Braves, Soroka has posted a ridiculous 1.38 ERA and an MLB-leading 322 ERA+. He's allowed more than one earned run in just one start this year and has undeniably been one of the most consistent pitchers in the league. Oh, and did we mention he's just 21?
1. Hyun-Jin Ryu
Ryu has established himself as perhaps this best pitcher in the league this year, surpassing the rank of teammate Clayton Kershaw who is posting rather pedestrian numbers. Ryu leads all of baseball with a minuscule 1.35 ERA and has walked just 5 batters in 80 innings of work. With just 2 runs allowed in his last six starts, the Korean southpaw is in pole position to win the NL Cy Young Award.