Oakland Athletics’ 2015 Team Award Winners

Cy Young Award – Sonny Gray

Sep 19, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Well this is obvious. In his second full season with the Oakland Athletics, Gray’s success was suppose to decline. However, Gray defied all odds and topped last year’s performance. He really established himself as a true ace at just 25 years old and his success was recognized as he became a 2015 AL All-Star.

This season, Gray kept his ERA low. With a 14-7 record, Gray accumulated a 2.73 ERA over 31 starts this season. Additionally, his WHIP was only 1.08 and he allowed just 17 homers over 208 innings pitched. In addition to pitching well, Gray also showed maturity on the mound. Although he is young, he really became a leader in the rotation – especially after veteran starting pitcher Scott Kazmir was traded to the Houston Astros.

He may be about the same age as many of the Athletics’ other rookie starters, but his experiences since joining the Oakland Athletics in 2013 have been extremely instrumental in his growth. He has pitched among some great veterans such as Bartolo Colon, Jon Lester, and Jeff Samardzija while with Oakland. Gray was able to take in everything and learn from these experiences. He has successfully applied them and deserves to be the team’s Cy Young award winner.

Next: Most Valuable Player Award