Before the start of the 2016 season, many saw Clayton Kershaw as the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award. Other popular choices were Jake Arrieta, Madison Bumgarner, Max Scherzer and Jose Fernandez. After all, the National League has a lot of talent when it comes to pitching. But we are a few weeks away from the end of the regular season and there’s a surprise leader in the Cy Young race.
Everybody, meet Kyle Hendricks. The Chicago Cubs’ right-hander has been absolutely stellar in the second half of the season. He has a big chance to win the Award once the season ends, something completely unexpected a few months ago. Hendricks began the year as the fifth starter, but has moved all the way up the depth chart until two, behind Arrieta and above pitchers like Jon Lester and John Lackey. His growth has been incredible and the numbers back him up.
To date, Hendricks leads the Majors with a sparkling 2.03 ERA. He also ranks in the Top 3 in batting average against him (.199) and WHIP (0.96). He doesn’t have the track of record of Bumgarner or Scherzer, but he’s been better than both. It also doesn’t hurt that Hendricks is part of the Cubs, arguably the best team in baseball this season. Voters love players on winning teams, and that’s a big plus for the former Texas Rangers prospect.
Speaking of wins, he’s fourth in the NL on that department with 15 wins on 27 starts. He doesn’t have a shot at reaching 20, but this is already a career-high for the finesse righty who’s having the best year of his life.
Hendricks season hasn’t exactly come out of nowhere, though. The 26-year-old reached the Majors back in 2014, posting a 7-2 record and a 2.46 ERA in 13 starts. He regressed a bit with a 3.95 ERA and an 8-7 mark last year, but has dazzled in 2016. Those inconsistencies might hurt him a bit in the eyes of the voters, but the Cy Young should be awarded based in each year’s performance.
And no one has been better than Hendricks this year. He’s the front-runner for the Award and should win it unless he melts down after the end of the season. It would be a deserved recognition for the best hurler in all of baseball during the current campaign.