Top five National League Cy Young contenders
As we get deeper into June, division races are taking shape and great players are separating themselves from the rest of the league. Below are the top five National League Cy Young contenders in inverse order. (The top five AL contenders are here.)
Will this year's winner be a fresh face or a familiar veteran?
5. Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates, RHP
At the prime age of 27, Keller is having a stellar season for the surprising Pirates (32-29). The ace of the Bucs rotation has an impressive repertoire of pitches with fascinating movement.
Keller, who has a 7-2 record, has racked up 94 strikeouts to 80 innings pitched with a 1.16 WHIP. He has been hit hard in his past three starts, allowing 15 earned runs and thus bloating his ERA to 3.60. However, he is among the few starting pitchers whose xERA (3.49) is lower than his actual ERA. Either the league has figured him out or he is a rising ace in the NL.
4. Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks, RHP
Gallen, who finished fifth in the Cy Young vote last year, is pitching well again in 2023, sporting a 7-2 record — a pace for 19 wins. The most significant difference from last year is he's getting better run support in 2023.
Gallen has a 1.08 WHIP and 88 strikeouts and has given up only 17 walks and three home runs. He is tied for the MLB lead in WAR (3.1) with Toronto's Kevin Gausman
3. Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs, RHP
It is shocking any pitcher in Chicago's rotation not named Justin Steele would be on the list, but here Stroman lands. He leads the NL in WHIP (1.0) and batting average against (.186). Plus, he has allowed the fewest number of earned runs (21) among NL pitchers with at least 75 innings.
Stroman slipped past Steele while the latter was on the IL. Compared to Steele, Stroman now has a better ERA (2.39 to 2.65), WHIP (1.000 to 1.059) and more strikeouts (68 to 58).
2. Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves, RHP
The strikeout king of MLB with 121 thus far, he is always in the Cy Young conversation. Only Strider's 3.79 ERA is keeping him from the top spot on this list.
Strider has built impressively on his breakout rookie year, and there is little doubt the 24-year-old will be an ace for the Atlanta Braves (38-24) for years to come. His 14.78 K/9 and his xERA of 2.70 suggest he will jump up a spot.
1. Clayton Kershaw: Los Angeles Dodgers, LHP
The three-time Cy Young winner is the best pitcher in Los Angeles Dodgers history. The Claw has more wins (205 to 165) and strikeouts (2,900 to 2,396) than Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax and a better ERA (2.49 to 2.76) and WHIP (1.087 to 1.106) as well.
As for this season, Kershaw (8-4) is the only NL pitcher on pace for 20 wins, something he has done only twice in his career. He also has a 2.95 ERA and 93 strikeouts in only 76.1 innings. A fourth Cy Young would give him one more than Koufax and cement his status as a first-ballot HOFer.
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