Top NL Cy Young Candidates

By Chad Hollingsworth
Love of Sports Correspondent

With the All-Star break ending and the second half of the season kicking off, teams are jockeying for playoff position throughout the league.

In the NL, up to four teams have a chance in the NL East, three teams are hoping to shoot into the NL Central lead and someone is going to have to win the NL West.

However, the team success from the NL isn’t necessarily coming from the ace pitchers of each respective staff. For example, Johan Santana hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations of Mets fans. Santana’s normally a better second half pitcher, though, so there’s plenty of time for him to get his name in the Cy Young discussion.

Other contending teams like the Marlins, Dodgers and Cardinals (sorry, Kyle Lohse) really don’t have a nominee in the mix for the Cy Young, either.

Regardless, if the award was given today to an NL pitcher, there are several names that should be given attention. Here are the Top 5 (well, OK, six) pitchers who have a chance at the NL Cy Young Award.

TOP 5 N.L. CY YOUNG NOMINEES

5a. Dan Haren, Arizona – Haren could get a big boost if the D-Backs can start scoring some runs and stay ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West. If they do fall out of contention, Haren (and Brandon Webb … but more on him later) can’t be blamed. The only thing that hurts Haren is that his won-loss record isn’t as good as Webb’s. He has just as many strikeouts and actually has a lower ERA and WHIP than his former Cy Young winning teammate. When he was traded to Arizona in the offseason, many envisioned a successful transition to the NL West. Good call. If the D-Backs can hang on to the lead in the NL West, look for the Cy Young talk to focus on Haren and…

5b. Brandon Webb, Arizona – Webb could be ranked a bit higher, but he had a few bad starts in June that pushed him off the Cy Young pace he began the season on. Obviously, the Arizona offense doesn’t benefit him, either (like Haren). Losing Eric Byrnes, Justin Upton and a season-long slumping Chris Young hasn’t helped the D-Back’s rotation at all. Webb, however, has still managed to win 13 games, as he’s been the most fortunate one on the mound when the D-Backs were able to score runs. His ERA and WHIP are very respectable, and he’s even spun in a few complete games. Like Haren, his numbers will rely on how much help the offense can give him in the second half.

4. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia – Hamels has had a great season thus far, but like Haren, his won-loss record doesn’t really show it. He’s 9-6, but if the Phillies hold off the Mets, Marlins and Braves in the East, he’ll likely be the main reason why. Even now, his ERA is just slightly over 3.00 and his WHIP is a stellar 1.02. He’s also gone the distance twice this season, which only helps out the already solid bullpen the Phils have. If he wins a few more games in the second half while keeping up his already great numbers, it’ll be hard to not factor him the Cy Young voting, especially since the Phillies are likely to in the playoff hunt until the end of September.

3. Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati – The Reds haven’t made much noise with their record, but that’s because last year’s No. 1 and 2 starters, Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, haven’t chipped in at all. With more team wins, it’d be hard not to have Volquez at the top of this list. He’s struck out 126 batters in under 118 innings and has a 12-3 record. His ERA leadsd the league at 2.29, but his 1.24 WHIP shows he’s prone to some control issues. Still, if his record stays this good, and he keeps striking out batters at his current rate, he’s going to get Cy Young votes even if the Reds wave the white flag before July 31st. Bottom line, as hard as great starting pitching is to find, the Reds definitely got a keeper when they traded Josh Hamilton to the Rangers.

2. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco – Take Lincecum off the Giants and what do you have? Well, the Giants are likely dead last in the NL West without him. Lincecum’s 11 wins against only two losses have helped them keep within striking distance in the NL West. Also, if you take him off the roster, the average age of the team jumps up three whole years! All right, I’m making that up. However, his stellar record, combined with his 135 strikeouts (near the top in the NL), makes him a bona fide Cy Young winner. His WHIP is a bit high at 1.25, but his ERA’s only 2.57. Also, as shown by the Rockies last year, the NL West is basically up for grabs. I personally don’t think the Giants can pull it off, but if Lincecum keeps this up, it’ll be hard to remove them from the picture.

1. Ben Sheets, Milwaukee – Yes, it’s a contract year for him. Yes, he could strain an oblique tomorrow and be on the disabled list for at least a month. But Sheets’ numbers so far have been nothing short of magnificent. His offense has helped him earn a 10-3 record (which could also get better if the Brewers seek out some bullpen help, as rumored), and he still strikes out batters at an impressive clip (108 Ks in 123 innings). Add to that his 2.85 ERA, a miniscule 1.11 WHIP and his tendency to pitch deep into games (three complete games already this season), and Sheets very well could take a Cy Young to his contract negotiations in the offseason. If the Brewers make some noise in the NL Central and/or wild card races, it’ll be hard to deny him the Cy Young this year.

Honrable Mention

--Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs
--Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs
--Tim Hudson, Atlanta
--Jake Peavy, San Diego

As you can see, the NL Cy Young race is very tight and could very well go down to the last week of the season.

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