Oakland Athletics Award Watch: Four Threats to Sonny Gray In Cy Young Race

Aug 9, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) delivers in the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Reigning Champion: Corey Kluber

Corey Kluber is a bit of a dark horse in this race, but it’s impossible to ignore him. The 29-year-old right hander made his mark in baseball history last season, when he capture the Cy Young in his fourth major league season. A former Padre, Kluber was sent to the Cleveland Indians in 2010 as part of a three-team deal. Jake Westbrook and Nick Greenwood headed to St. Louis, San Diego picked up Ryan Ludwick, and the Tribe took home long-time minor league Kluber.

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In 2014, he posted a 2.44 ERA, had a league-leading 18 wins (in a league-leading 34 games), and amassed an astonishing 269 strikeouts. He also had just a 1.09 WHIP, and opposing hitters batted .233 against him.

Keep in mind, this was someone who posted a 8.31 and 5.14 ERA in his first two brief stints in the majors, and even in 2013, Kluber went 11-5 with a 3.85 ERA after failing to make the team out of Spring Training.

This season hasn’t been quite as good for Kluber, as his ERA is 3.46, and his record just 7-12 in 24 starts. However, he’s had several stellar outings in recent weeks, and his ERA is rapidly declining. He’s tied with Gray in complete games, with three, and his 186 strikeouts trail only Chris Sale and Chris Archer. Kluber has a seventh-ranked WHIP, at 1.08, and leads the league in innings pitched, at 171.2. If he continues to trend in this direction, his ERA and win total could get to where they need to be to win a second Cy Young Award.

As of this moment, Kluber’s chances of repeating rest heavily on his teammates – a 7-12 record will not impress the old-school judges who can’t see past a silly team-based statistic like wins. Kluber has 15 quality starts, while Gray has 18, but the Indians’ pitcher also has a 2.55 FIP, compared to Gray’s 2.93. Combine those facts with Kluber’s 27.1 percent strikeout rate and 4.9 percent walk rate, and it proves that Kluber is capable of getting himself right back into the Cy Young conversation. Regardless of who takes home the hardware, Kluber may be the more talented pitcher of the two by the slightest of margins.

Next: Cy Young Candidate: The King