So, last time that you heard from me, Scott Kazmir had just been traded to the Angels.
Needless to say, a lot of time has passed since then. I personally apologize for the lack of activity on the site this month. The lazy excuse would be to blame it on the utter lack of any real pennant race, but in reality, life has been simply kicking me in the ass this month. As a result, I have not had much time to devote to baseball writing. Our other writers have been really busy lately as well. Teddy Mitrosilis, for instance, is currently competing for a roster spot on the nationally ranked North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team, and we we wish him the best there.
I promise, however, that the lack of activity will change as we enter the Hot Stove season.
For tonight’s post, I wanted to focus on Zack Greinke, who should be a slam dunk for the American League Cy Young.
Greinke actually received some run support last night on the way to earning his 15th win of the season. The Royals batted around Paul Byrd and the Red Sox in a five-run fifth inning, and the hard-throwing right-hander took over from there. His final line was solid: though he had three walks, he struck out five and scattered only two hits in six scoreless frames.
Having watched his whole outing, though, it is easy to see how he puts up such ridiculous numbers. He will dial it back 97 MPH, throw up a low-90s fastball, mix in his sometimes amusingly slow curve ball. His stuff is just sick. It really is.
The win has helped his Cy hopes, that is for sure.
However, had Greinke been shelled, or simply received another tough-luck loss, he still would be the no-brain selection for Cy Young in the AL. Unfortunately, too many of the people with the luxury of having a vote in the postseason awards still hold Ws and Ls in the highest possible light. Thus, many pundits argued that he needed to reach the 15-win plateau to have a legitimate chance at the award.
Which is complete and utter nonsense.
Greinke, regardless of how his team-dependent record looks, has been the best pitcher in his league. And it has not been particularly close. Indeed, one could make the case that he has been the most valuable player in all of baseball; he is leading the majors with 8.7 Wins Above Replacement, a stat centered around wins that actually has some value. Just because his teammates suck–and, boy, do I mean suck, as out machines Mike Jacobs and Yuneisky Betancourt were actually acquired with the intention of improving the club–should not cost him a shot at the hardware. In fact, if he does still not garner enough votes from the BBWAA, he should sue Dayton Moore for negligence, given that he is due a nice bonus for taking home the award. Moore’s incompetence (I still cannot believe the organization would extend him) as a general manager is going to do a whole lot more than costing the Royals a chance at relevance anytime soon, as Greinke could also get snubbed from honors that he rightfully deserves. Now, and in the future.
The numbers, as they often do, tell the story beautifully. Greinke leads the league in ERA, at 2.06, and WHIP, with a stellar 1.06 mark. He ranks second on the circuit in strikeouts (229), complete games (6), fourth in innings pitched (216.1) and, for those who care about something as trivial as wins, he sits fourth in the league there after getting that 15th W.
Most impressive, Greinke has the majors’ lowest Fielding Independent Pitching mark, 2.22, and boasts rates of 9.53 K/9, 1.96 BB/9 and 0.46 HR/9. He is a surefire stud, and the one really exceptional move in the Moore era was locking up to a team-friendly extension last winter.
What you have just read is hardly anything revolutionary. There were probably 500 articles written on the exact same subject today alone. I do not care. I just want Greinke to get his due. If he is not your 2009 American League Cy Young Winner, we need to stop putting stock into which players do and do not win awards.
I just hope the voters do not screw up such an easy decision.
