SBN Votes: Felix Hernandez For American League Cy Young

by Ben Buchanan on Nov 18, 2010 6:01 AM EST in SBNation Awards

Every year, SB Nation likes to poll the collective baseball writers and figure out our own winners of the major awards. For those wondering, Jason Heyward and Austin Jackson won close votes in the rookie of the year competitions (only three points separated Jackson and Neftali Feliz), but since there were no Red Sox even close to those votes, I figured we'd just skip ahead to the Cy Young winners.

The winner was, by a very long shot, Felix Hernandez, and it's no surprise to me. King Felix had the best combination of peripherals and results by far, recording the league's best ERA and third best xFIP. The wins weren't there, no, but come on. That's not actually a pitcher's results.

Full votes follow the jump:

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Points
Felix	21	4	3	1		174
Lee	4	9	4	1	2	80
Price	2	5	4	1	3	51
Sabathia	1	4	4	4	3	46
Verlander	1	3	3	6	1	41
Weaver		2	2	7	2	30
Liriano		1	5	1	4	25
Lester		1	1	3	6	19
Buchholz			2	4	2	16
Soriano			1		1	4
Cahill				1	2	4
Greinke					3	3

For the most part, these are about the names you expect, but oh, if it doesn't inspire a little bit of homer rage. To being with, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the votes putting Price so far above Buchholz, especially with two first place votes (for the record, each blog gets two votes...yeah. E and I had the honors for Over The Monster). While it's certainly easy to argue that price had a better season, it's hard to argue that he had a better season by the same virtues that would put him first or second in Cy Young voting.

And then there's Jon Lester and C.C. Sabathia. Always, always C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia's one real claim to greatness this year was in wins--and that comes thanks largely in part to incredible run support from the Yankees. Lester had him beat easily in FIP and xFIP. Other than that, he's seventh in ERA, tenth in FIP, tenth in xFIP, and, somehow, fourth place in points. Every year people claim that it's time for Lester to breakout, and every year I wonder where they've been the last few years. But until it's established and accepted that Lester is the better ace, there'll be something more to prove to the non-believers.

For those interested, here are the National League results:

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Points
Halladay	33					231
Wainwright		16	5	10	2	101
Jimenez		8	16	5	1	91
Johnson		7	9	9	5	78
Lincecum		2	2	4	8	30
Hudson				2	5	9
Latos			1	2	1	8
Oswalt				1	4	6
Kershaw					3	3
Hamels					2	2
Marmol					1	1
Garcia					1	1

Yeah, that one wasn't very divided...

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Comments

If Lester had the misfortune . . .

. . . to be a MFY (and ugh, I just threw up even writing that), we’d be talking about the Cy Young award winning Lester by now.

However, aside from his no-hitter and the cancer bit, he’s the best pitcher in baseball who always gets ignored by the national media. Previously, it was all Beckett, all the time, and now it’s Buchholz who’s stealing the limelight.

But so long as this gives Lester a chip on the shoulder and gets him to figure out whatever slow start issues he has seemingly every year, I’m all for it.

Fenway: "An alternate and better universe, disguised as a ballpark." --Thomas Boswell

by lone1c on Nov 18, 2010 6:08 AM EST reply actions

BLASPHEMOUS FIEND

For your initial thought, we shall condemn you to…

Something. I don’t know what yet as I haven’t had my morning tea yet. :-P :-)

"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire

The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site

by Raj Ghetia on Nov 18, 2010 9:03 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Don't you think I'll have suffered enough?

I’ll be seeing this in my nightmares for WEEKS.

Fenway: "An alternate and better universe, disguised as a ballpark." --Thomas Boswell

by lone1c on Nov 18, 2010 11:57 AM EST up reply actions

You thought about it.

Your fault my friend.

Just have a couple gin & tonics and black out for the evening. Might help. ;-)

"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire

The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site

by Raj Ghetia on Nov 18, 2010 8:37 PM EST up reply actions

i'm surprised jeter didn't win it

by Mick Lowe on Nov 18, 2010 11:43 AM EST up reply actions

I dunno, Felix was pretty definitely a better pitcher than Lester this year

by wolf9309 on Nov 18, 2010 3:41 PM EST up reply actions

Why use everyone's last name but Hernandez's?

Oh, if a man tried to take his time on earth, and prove before he died
What one man's life could be worth--oh, I wonder what would happen to this world.

by LegendaryTadpole on Nov 18, 2010 12:34 PM EST reply actions

Good question.

I just used the voting results spreadsheet to make a CSV chart, so it wasn’t my choice.

Over the Monster -- SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Site
USG

by Ben Buchanan on Nov 18, 2010 2:52 PM EST up reply actions

because there is only one felix, maybe?

peyton
cher
j.d.
julio
manny

by Mick Lowe on Nov 18, 2010 3:36 PM EST up reply actions

Unger? Leiter??

by RickD on Nov 18, 2010 6:40 PM EST up reply actions

CC vs Lester

There’s another thing to remember: Lester’s home park doesn’t really help LHP and the same thing can’t be said for Sabathia.
We have the better ace. Suck it NY!

Twitter | "Almost every organization has a guy like Papelbon or Lester" - Dave Cameron 12/29/2005

by radiohix on Nov 18, 2010 1:20 PM EST reply actions

Of course, Sabathia and Price take second and third place.

I guess baby steps are good, though. Can’t run before they learn how to walk.

Over the Monster -- SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Site
USG

by Ben Buchanan on Nov 18, 2010 3:17 PM EST reply actions

"Sabathia's one real claim to greatness this year was in wins"

cc had 11 wins verse last place teams in their respective divisions

by Mick Lowe on Nov 18, 2010 3:41 PM EST reply actions

cc's best years are behind him

as a matter of fact, there is a lot behind him.

have you seen this guy?

with the weight on his knees, how will he ever finish his contract?

it’s tough pitching from a walker

by Mick Lowe on Nov 18, 2010 3:45 PM EST reply actions

CC's rotator cuff is made of teflon and his knees are made from titanium.

Any time you give 7 years to a free agent pitcher, you have to assume that you’re punting the last few years (which is why giving 7 years to a pitcher tends to be stupid). But, I think CC’s bulk and massive workload might not be as damning as you seem to think.

I would contend that the fact that he has logged such a huge amount of innings without major injury (the surgery he just had was very minor and he is recovering very well) means that he is more likely to last, not less. His durability has allowed him to compile a huge amount of innings, and that’s not likely to up and vanish.

I think that some of that is due to his delivery, but I would have to assume that being so massive actually helps him deal with the strain of that many pitches. Now Cliff Lee on the other hand…..

Let’s just say I hope the Rangers find a way to pony up enough cash to save us from ourselves.

Questions or thoughts? Email me at duggan2423(at)gmail(dot)com

by Lord Duggan on Nov 18, 2010 7:37 PM EST up reply actions