Stetson’s deGrom, Kluber add local flavor to Cy Young finalists

For the third time in five seasons, a former Stetson baseball player could bring home a Cy Young Award.

Corey Kluber, the Cleveland Indians’ ace righthander, captured the American League’s top pitching prize in 2014 and ’17. He is a Cy Young finalist again, but another former Hatter, New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom, is a more likely candidate to hear his name when the MLB Network broadcasts the announcement of the winners, beginning at 6 Wednesday night.

Here’s a closer look at both pitchers’ seasons and chances: ERA would be the lowest for a Cy Young-winning starter since Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves in 1995. Maddux posted a 1.63 ERA that season.

Why he’ll win: Voters will look past deGrom’s won-loss record — a statistic that includes variables often beyond a pitcher’s control — and take a more sabermetric view. While deGrom did not pitch under the pressure of a pennant race, he was forced to be razor-thin perfect at his craft at times because of the number of low-scoring games in which he was involved.

Why he won’t: Scherzer, the two-time reigning Cy Young winner who retained his dominant form in 2018. He finished 18-7 with a 2.53 ERA and led the NL in innings, strikeouts, WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Our pick: deGrom against the Chicago White Sox. Kluber earned his 20th victory by striking out 11 and walking one in seven scoreless innings. The Indians prevailed 4-0.

Of note: Kluber is seeking to become only the 11th pitcher with at least three Cy Youngs. That list includes Scherzer, who claimed the AL Cy while with the Detroit Tigers in 2013. Roger Clemens’ seven Cys is the all-time record.

Why he’ll win: Voters will look at Kluber’s durability and dependability — he has averaged 32 starts the past five seasons — and give him extra credit for being the best starter on a deep Indians rotation.

Why he won’t: Kluber did not do enough to overcome Snell’s breakout season or Verlander’s old-school excellence. Snell came into the season with 11 major-league victories and added an ALbest 21 to his total in his third season with the Rays. Verlander, who will be 36 in February, led the league in starts, strikeouts, WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Our pick: Snell