Arrieta, Keuchel are top pitchers
Jake Arrieta posted one final win, perhaps against his most formidable competition yet.
The Cubs’ right-hander aced out the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw to earn the NL Cy Young Award by a comfortable margin. The announcement was made Wednesday.
“There was some anxiety involved,” Arrieta said on a conference call.
Arrieta topped the majors with 22 victories, boosted by a record 0.75 ERA after the All-Star break. He acknowledged the super stats piled up by the Los Angeles pitchers spurred him.
“Deep down inside, we think we can catch them, do a little bit better,” he said.
Houston’s Dallas Keuchel won the AL Cy Young Award, easily beating David Price.
Voting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America was conducted before the postseason.
In a tight race between three very worthy contenders, Arrieta received 17 of 30 first-place votes and 169 points. Greinke (19-3, 1.66 ERA) drew 10 first-place votes and 147 points. Kershaw (16-7, 2.13, 301 strikeouts) got the other three firsts and 101 points.
Arrieta went 22-6, including 11-0 in his last 12 starts in pushing the Cubs into the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The 29-year-old had a 1.77 ERA, struck out 236 and pitched a no-hitter.
In Arrieta’s final 20 regular-season starts, he went 16-1 and permitted only 14 earned runs.
During that span, he also hit two home runs while giving up just two.
Arrieta was the first Cubs pitcher to win the honor since Greg Maddux in 1992.
Keuchel led the AL in wins, going 20-8 and helping the Astros reach the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
“For years to come, we’re going to be contenders,” the bearded left-hander said.
The A’s Sonny Gray finished third in the voting.