Analyzing the 2022 AL Cy Young race with over a month to go

The AL Cy Young race 2022 is as exciting as it’ll ever be. The best is yet to come, but more hurlers are jumping on board and proving to be the most dominant out there. It could be a real coin toss for the first time in years, as multiple arms have made a strong case to win the award.

AL Cy Young race 2022

This year’s pursuit of the Cy Young doesn’t only include previous MLB award winners, proving that baseball is in great hands right now.

All odds taken August 19 at FanDuel Sportsbook

So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 most dominant pitchers in the American League; our top-10 candidates to win AL Cy Young:

10. Martin Perez

If someone would’ve told us that Martin Perez would crack the list of AL Cy Young candidates in 2022, we’d ask that person to be drug-tested. But here we are, and Perez continues to dominate and shows no signs of regression for the struggling Texas Rangers.

Perez’s record isn’t all that impressive at 9-3 after 23 starts, but that has been due to his team’s poor defense and lack of run support. He’s posted a 2.79 ERA with a 1.197 WHIP, and 125 strikeouts in 142.0 innings of work, and he’s likely in for a big payday in the winter.

9. Logan Gilbert

The Seattle Mariners look poised to put an end to their postseason drought, and Logan Gilbert has a lot to do with that. The 25-year-old has looked the part in his second season in the Majors and looks like a superstar in the making, anchoring their rotation already.

Gilbert owns a 10-5 record with a 3.51 ERA. He’s struggled to keep up with his outstanding start of the season, but his 1.243 WHIP is still quite impressive, and so is his 3.10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s just 25 years old and has already made 24 starts, proving that he can be a workhorse for years to come.

8. Gerrit Cole

The New York Yankees ranked high in both the trade deadline winners and losers, depending on where you stand. Some claimed they should’ve swung for the fences and landed Juan Soto, some are just happy they got their guy in Frankie Montas.

We side with the latter group, as they didn’t need more offense, and their starting rotation could’ve used another reliable arm. Gerrit Cole has been lights out as per usual, and he’s a Cy Young candidate even in a down year by his standards. Right now, he owns a 9-5 record with a 3.30 ERA and 1.025 WHIP.

7. Nestor Cortes

Surprisingly, Nestor Cortes has been the most reliable starter in a rotation that also features Cole. Most analysts expected some big regression from him after the All-Star break, yet he continues to show that he can be SP1 in one of the best rotations in the American League.

Through 22 starts, the 27-year-old owns a 9-4 record with a 2.74 ERA, an absurd 0.976 WHIP, a 4.41 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and has only allowed 93 hits and 39 earned runs (15 homers) over 125.0 IP. He’s a stud and is just getting started.

6. Framber Valdez

Even though he doesn’t the credit he deserves, Framber Valdez has been rock solid for the Houston Astros this season. As such, he should still have a privileged spot on their rotation, even with Lance McCullers coming back from injury.

Valdez has been lights out with an 11-4 record and a 2.73 ERA. He’s posted mostly quality starts throughout the season, staying on the mound for 142.0 IP, including a couple of complete games. Also, he’s allowed just 0.4 homers per 9 innings, the best mark in baseball.

5. Alek Manoah

Alek Manoah is already a superstar. It didn’t take long for him to prove why he rose through the minors so quickly, and he’ll anchor the Toronto Blue Jays rotation for years to come, especially if the veterans fail to turn things around soon.

Manoah is electric and has great command. His repertoire is nasty, and his energy is just contagious. Thus far, he boasts a 12-6 record with a 2.71 ERA in 23 starts and 142.2 innings of work, striking out 131 and giving up 31 free passes.

4. Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is the only player who could be at the top of both the AL MVP and AL Cy Young favorites list every single year. The two-way phenom is a generational talent and has turned the ever-struggling Los Angeles Angels into must-watch television.

The modern-day Babe Ruth, Ohtani currently owns a 10-7 record with a 2.69 ERA, 1.060 WHIP, and 165 strikeouts across 20 starts. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he’s also hit 25 home runs with 68 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and a league-leading 12 intentional walks.

3. Shane McClanahan

Shane McClanahan is just another one of Kevin Cash‘s hard-throwing machines that have come out of the blue to dominate on a nightly basis. He’s been as steady as a rock all year long, and he’d have a better record to show for it if it wasn’t for his team’s injuries.

Thus far, the southpaw has posted an 11-5 record with a 2.28 ERA, a league-leading 0.871 WHIP, and 165 strikeouts in 134.1 innings of work. He’s also leading the league with just 5.9 hits allowed per 9 innings.

2. Dylan Cease

Dylan Cease‘s newly-found slider has made him nearly unhittable this season. He continues to improve every single year he’s been in the Majors and has established himself as the anchor of a Chicago White Sox team that has needed an ace more often than not.

The White Sox are still in Wild Card contention, so they’ll keep pushing Cease to keep his foot on the gas. As of now, he owns a 12-5 record with a 2.09 ERA, 1.167 WHIP, and 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings. He’s also the league leader in starts (24).

1. Justin Verlander

Death, taxes and Justin Verlander being dominant. The 37-year-old continues to prove that age is just a number, turning back the clock after Tommy John surgery to lead the AL Cy Young race 2022. Honestly, it looks like he could go for another ten years right now.

Verlander looks right on track to win his third Cy Young award and the second in the past three seasons. He’s leading all of baseball in wins (15), ERA (1.95), win percentage (.833), and ERA+ (197) while also ranking second in WHIP (0.881). That’s just insane.

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