Cy Young Award has a clear favorite after Cam Schlittler's dominant start

Cy Young Award has a clear favorite after Cam Schlittler's dominant start, Dylan Cease's dud

After his great month of August, Cease started September the same way. On September 2, he threw six scoreless innings, allowing only four hits. He had a surprisingly low four strikeouts, but it was a good performance nonetheless. 

Then came Monday against the Athletics. In the bottom of the first, the A's scored twice off of Cease, one earned and the other the result of a Kazuma Okamoto throwing error. 

After a one-two-three second, Cease allowed two more runs in the third. In his fifth and final inning of work, Cease allowed a lead-off home run for his fifth run allowed (four earned). 

Cease's line: five innings, four hits, four earned runs, two walks and six strikeouts. Coming into the game, Cease had a 2.25 ERA and left with a 2.40. 

Monday was the fourth time this season Cease allowed four or more runs and the first time since June 27. Despite how dominant he had been, an outing like this could cost him the Cy Young, especially with how good his competition has been. 

Tuesday was different in the Bronx. Schlittler came out dominant against the Rockies, retiring the first six batters before allowing a third-inning home run to Adael Amador. 

After that, Schlittler retired 15 of the next 17 batters, including 11 consecutive. His 10 strikeouts were his fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season. 

For Schlittler, this has come to be expected. He already set the Yankee record for most starts in a season with one or fewer earned runs, with Tuesday's being his 22nd. 

On August 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals, Schlittler finished only three innings and allowed four runs on four hits and five walks. Since then, he has gone six consecutive starts allowing one or fewer runs.

His season ERA has now dropped to 2.01 after Tuesday's win and his 220 strikeouts sit just 37 behind 2022 Cy Young Gerrit Cole for most in franchise history. 

Who deserves the award?

As of Sept. 9, both pitchers are scheduled to make three more starts. Cease faces the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, while Schlittler will face the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Orioles. 

As long as Schlittler doesn't have a devastating outcome where he allows five or more runs, he should have the award all but locked up. 

Schlittler has the edge on Cease in record, innings pitched, ERA, WHIP, walks and WAR, while Cease leads in just strikeouts. 

Both pitchers have had tremendous seasons, but only one can win the award and that pitcher is Cam Schlittler.