Top Two AL CY Young Candidates Both In AL East
The American League East division has continued to be the most competitive in baseball with all five teams in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Orioles, Rays, and Blue Jays are currently in the playoff picture with the Red Sox and Yankees both five or less games out. This powerhouse of a division could be collecting some hardware as the top two AL CY Young candidates are both in the AL East. Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees is currently the favorite to win with the Toronto Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman in second.
The current rankings for the award are:
Gerrit Cole, NYY
Kevin Gausman, TOR
Shohei Ohtani, LAA
Nathan Eovaldi, TEX
Framber Valdez, HOU
Courtesy of John Minchillo (AP Photo) (Getty Images)
Gerrit Cole is amidst another great season for the Yankees as he continues to show fans why is he considered a top pitcher in the MLB. In his 25 starts this season, Cole has a 10-3 record and has pitched 156.1 innings. His ERA stands at 2.76 and he has racked up 166 strikeouts. His ERA is third best in baseball and he has the fifth most strikeouts this season. Cole has been one of the few bright spots for the Yankees in a season that isn’t going as planned. New York currently finds themselves out of the playoffs and last in the AL East. Although his team may be underperforming, Gerrit Cole is having a terrific year. He is one of the main reasons the Yankees are still close in the playoff hunt and will look to help them extend their season to October.
Courtesy of Nick Turchiaro (USA Today Sports) (Getty Images)
Kevin Gausman is another pitcher who has been a large contributor to their team’s playoff push. Gausman has started in 23 games and holds a record of 9-6. He has pitched 139 innings so far and has an ERA of 3.04. Gausman has collected 183 strikeouts on the year and looks to add to that total down the stretch. Gausman is second in the league in strikeouts and his ERA is fifth best. Toronto is currently a wildcard seed with the season winding down and Kevin Gausman will look to keep Toronto in the postseason. The Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox are both close behind so having Gausman on the mound every fifth game is crucial for the Blue Jays and their playoff hopes.