Big awards time, the tension is palpable...
The nominees are:
Hiroki Kuroda - The old guy showed he still had some stuff left in the old guy tank. Kuroda made 31 starts in 2010, posting a 3.31 ERA in 196.1 innings. He struck out 159 batters while walking just 48. He had 21 quality starts, including one where he carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning against the Phillies.
Chad Billingsley - I suppose Billingsley might have been a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year except I don't really feel like his 2009 was that bad. Either way, his 2010 was good stuff. 31 starts, 3.57 ERA over 191.2 innings. He struck out 171 to just 69 walks, had 18 quality starts, and pitched the second complete game shutout of his career.
Clayton Kershaw - The 22 year old pitched 204.1 innings, posting a 2.91 ERA over that span. He struck out 212 batters, had 23 quality starts, and picked up the first complete game shutout of his career.
And the winner is...
Everyone!
Alright, not everyone, but before I announce the winner, I want to give all three nominees props. Looking back at the stats, I was surprised by how good our top three pitchers were this season. I mean, just solid work from all three men. So, really, props to all three, but there can only be one winner, and that person is...
Clayton Kershaw for the second year in a row.
He had the 12th best ERA in all of baseball and was 7th in strikeouts per nine innings. And striking out 200+ batters in a season is flatout impressive.
For all that, he's the winner of the "J's Dodger Blog 2010 Cy Young" award.
Alright, moving on to the heavy hitters of the awards. First up: Cy Young. There are three big candidates for this, let's jump in.
The nominees are:
Randy Wolf
-When Randy Wolf is healthy, he can be one of the most effective pitchers in the game. Wolf set new career highs with 34 starts and 214.1 innings worth of pitching this year. And he posted a 3.23 ERA over that span (in his career: second only to his 3.20 ERA in 2002). Maybe Wolf wasn't always lights out, but he was consistent. And over a long season, that means a lot. In fact, in only one start this year did Wolf not go a full 5.0 innings. And in 29 of his 34 starts, Wolf went 6.0 or more innings. All in all, a pretty good year for Wolf.
Clayton Kershaw
-30 starts, 185 Ks, and a 2.79 ERA is a nice line of stats. When you consider that those numbers were put up by a 21 year old kid in his first real full season, they look so much better. The future is bright for Kershaw.
Jonathan Broxton
-He's the "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Reliever of the Year." Isn't that good enough?!
...and the winner is...
Clayton Kershaw.
Randy Wolf had a career year, and I want to take nothing away from him, but just check some of the stats Clayton Kershaw has:
8th in all of baseball in ERA. 7th in all of baseball in strikeouts per 9 innings. 2nd in all of baseball in fewest homeruns per 9 innings. 1st in all of baseball in fewest hits per 9 innings.
Not to mention his ERA at home this year was 1.83.
I mean, this kid is good.
And he's 21.
Here's to the bright future. Clayton Kershaw is the winner of "J's Dodger Blog 2009 Cy Young Award."
The nominees for the 2008 Dodger Cy Young Award are:
Derek Lowe
-After a mediocre start (an above 4.00 ERA for most of June), Derek Lowe really kicked it into high gear. In his last 10 starts, he went 6-1 with a complete game and a 1.27 ERA. He finished the season 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA in 34 starts.
Chad Billingsley
-Excellent throughout the year, Billingsley really blossomed into the player Dodger fans have been hoping to see. He went 16-10 with a 3.14 and 201 strikeouts and he collected the first complete game shutout of his career. His ERA was good for 7th in the league, his 16 wins tied him for 7th, and 201 strikeouts placed him 5th.
Hong-Chih Kuo
-Well, on top of all the good stuff I've mentioned he's done this season in the previous awards I've given out, he's also the winner of the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Reliever of the Year."
...and the 2008 Dodger Cy Young winner is...
Chad Billingsley
Hong-Chih Kuo was good, but nowhere near as good as the two starters on the list. Yes, this was mostly a two-horse race.
And while Derek Lowe might actually be a better candidate for MVP considering how well he pitched down the stretch, if you consider the Cy Young Award to be the award given to the best pitcher, then Chad Billingsley definitely wins, as he bested Lowe in both wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
So, for his statistical dominance of the pitching staff, Chad Billingsley wins the "J's Dodger Blog 2008 Cy Young Award."
