Not surprised that Felix Hernandez has won the AL Cy Young, as I indicated earlier today that I thought he would. I am very, very surprised at the landslide vote: 21 of 28 first-place votes and 167 total points compared to David Price (4, 111) and CC Sabathia (3, 102). It's a clear sign voters are taking more of a statistical analysis approach to voting. On the whole, I suppose that's a good thing overall.
Still, it would have been nice for the best pitcher in the entire league to have a better record than 13-12 and to have pitched in a meaningful game after May. Yes, the Mariners were historically bad offensively and that lagged King Felix's run support way behind his counterparts. But it's hard for me to get past a Cy Young guy winning two games -- two! -- in his division for an entire season. That has to count for something.
That said, maybe it's me. After all, I left the NL Manager of the Year off my official ballot because I felt blowing a division with a 10-game losing streak late in the season was a fatal strike on the resume. Most everyone else apparently didn't. But that's why the voting is fascinating: It's 28 different opinions. We can agree to disagree.
King Felix had a fabulous season by the stats. I just didn't think it was a Cy Young one.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
tagged
Major leagues | Yankees
