David Price lost the AL Cy Young vote, but he’ll still be cashing in.
Keuchel, Arrieta entered year as unproven talents, but quickly emerged as aces
Jake Arrieta and Dallas Keuchel reported to spring training in February with a combined career record of 55-59 and zero appearances on Cy Young Award ballots. By the end of the season they were certified aces, lifting their teams to the division series with shutout pitching in the wild-card games.
On Wednesday, Arrieta won the National League Cy Young Award, and Keuchel took the honour in the American League. Their breakout seasons mirrored those of their teams, and the baseball writers took notice. Arrieta’s award was the third this week for the Chicago Cubs, and Keuchel’s was the second for the Houston Astros.
The Astros’ Carlos Correa was the AL rookie of the year, and A.J. Hinch was the runner-up for the manager of the year award. In the NL, the Cubs’ Kris Bryant was the rookie of the year, and Joe Maddon was the top manager. The most valuable player awards — the fourth set of honours given by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America — will be announced Thursday.
The Cubs do not have an MVP finalist — Washington’s Bryce Harper is the heavy favourite — but Arrieta’s prize made them the first team since the 1991 Atlanta Braves to win three BBWAA awards in the same season.
Those Braves won with Terry Pendleton (MVP), Tom Glavine (Cy Young) and Bobby Cox (manager). They also reached the World Series, a goal that eluded the Cubs, who were swept by the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series. The Astros lost a five-game division series to the Kansas City Royals, who went on to win the World Series.
Arrieta went 22-6 with a1.77 earned run average, growing stronger as the season went on. His 0.75 ERA after the all-star break was the best in major league history (minimum 100 innings), and he allowed only 5.9 hits and 0.4 home runs per nine innings, both the best figures in the majors.
Keuchel went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA, leading the AL in innings pitched (232) and walks plus hits per inning (1.017), while winning a Gold Glove. He received 22 of 30 first-place votes. David Price, who pitched for Detroit and Toronto, got all the rest.
Price went18-5 with a 2.45 ERA and 225 strikeouts and pushed the Blue Jays toward their first playoff appearance since 1993.
Sonny Gray of the A’s was the other finalist.
The NL vote was closer, but perhaps not as close as most seemed to think. Arrieta had 17 first-place votes, with 10 going to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Zack Greinke and three for Greinke’s teammate Clayton Kershaw. Greinke had a 1.63 ERA, the lowest in the majors in 20 years, and Kershaw had 301 strikeouts, the most in the majors since 2002.
“Everything I’ve been through makes it even more special,” Arrieta said on MLB Network. “Thanks to all the guys I’ve continued to compete against, year in, year out, to make me try to take my game to the next level. All the hard work has been worth it.”
Arrieta had a losing record in four seasons with Baltimore before a trade to Chicago in mid-2013. The Cubs allowed him to use his unconventional delivery — across his body — and he has thrived. He is the fifth Cubs pitcher to win the award, after Ferguson Jenkins, Bruce Sutter, Rick Sutcliffe and Greg Maddux. Keuchel became the third Astro to win, after Mike Scott and Roger Clemens.
“This award has been a lot of work, it’s been a long time coming,” Arrieta said.
“A lot of adjusting. Trying to figure this game out, and (I’m) still learning.”