Luis Edu
After the first month of the 2022 MLB season, it is time to mention the five pitchers who are currently among the top favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award.
Clayton Kershaw is one of the starters who impressed in April, although in his case it is no surprise because he is a future member of the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.
National League Cy Young Favorites
5.- Merrill Kelly – Arizona Rattlers
After his first 5 starts of the MLB regular round, Kelly has posted remarkable statistics that place him as the ace of the rotation for an Arizona team that looks very unlikely to fight for a spot in the postseason.
The 33-year-old veteran owns a 2-1 record with a 1.27 ERA — the best in the National League — and 1.02 WHIP. He also has 26 strikeouts in 28.1 innings of work.
4.- Pablo López – Miami Marlins
The Marlins starter has managed to overcome the physical troubles that limited his performance in previous years, and is currently the best-performing pitcher in one of the most fearsome MLB rotations in 2022, along with other young stars such as Jesús Luzardo and Sandy Alcántara.
López has a record of 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. In terms of strikeouts, he has 30 in 28 innings.ó
3.- Joe Musgrove – San Diego Padres
Musgrove is one of two pitchers who started the season with a 4-0 record, showing that he’s back to the level of 13 months ago, when he posted the first no-hitter in Padres history.
The Californian pitcher has an ERA of 1.97 and WHIP of 0.91 after his first 5 appearances in the current campaign. In this case, it is important to point out that his dominance is evidenced by the fact that he only has 2 bases per ball in 32 innings of work.
2.- Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers
The three-time National League Cy Young winner remains one of the Dodgers’ biggest stars, so it’s no surprise that he’s on the short list for one of the most important individual awards in the major leagues.
In 2022, Kershaw has an undefeated record of 3-0 with an ERA of 2.35 and a minuscule WHIP of 0.70. Impressive numbers for the veteran, who has just signed a one-year contract with Dave Roberts’ team.
1.- Carlos Rodón – San Francisco Giants
In his first season in the National League, Rodón is shining as the pitching ace for a Giants team looking to reach the postseason again in 2022.
The 29-year-old left-handed pitcher took almost no damage in his first 5 starts of the season, and that’s evidenced by the .141 average of opposing hitters. He has a 3-1 record and WHIP of 0.83, with an impressive 41 strikeouts in 29 innings.
It’s too early to make a determination on the potential National League Cy Young winner, but this list is definitely stacked with pitchers talented enough to take home the award in 2022.
