2023 MLB Awards: Top 5 NL Cy Young Award Candidates
The 2023 Major League Baseball regular season has reached its conclusion and the BBWAA has voted for this year's awards.
Award winners will be revealed in November, after the World Series ends.
As part of our 2023 MLB award selections, here are our top five National League Cy Young Award candidates:
5) Justin Steele, Chicago Cubs
30 G, 30 GS, 16-5, 3.06 ERA, 173.1 IP, 146 ERA+, 3.02 FIP, 1.171 WHIP, 9.1 SO9, 4.89 SO/W, 3.8 WAR
Kicking off our list is Justin Steele. The lefty broke out in 2023, earning his first trip to the All-Star Game. Through his first 27 starts, Steele logged a 2.49 ERA across 159.0 IP, but hit a snag in the final weeks of the season, as his ERA increased to 3.06. Still, he had a great season and was a big reason why the Chicago Cubs found themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot up to the last weekend of the regular season.
4) Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers
32 G, 32 GS, 10-8, 3.39 ERA, 193.2 IP, 127 ERA+, 3.81 FIP, 1.069 WHIP, 9.3 SO9, 3.03 SO/W, 3.6 WAR
The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner earns the fourth spot. Steele had a lower ERA, but Burnes gave his team 20 more innings, the equivalent of four extra starts. The ability to pitch deep into games, especially in today's age, is extremely valuable. This isn't the last time on this list that we valued innings and longevity over ERA.
3) Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks
34 G, 34 GS, 17-9, 3.47 ERA, 210.0 IP, 125 ERA+, 3.27 FIP, 3.27 FIP, 1.119 WHIP, 9.4 SO9, 4.68 SO/W, 4.4 WAR
Following the same logic that put Burnes in front of Steele, Gallen tossed nearly 20 more innings than Burnes did in 2023 and had a near-identical ERA+. Gallen played an instrumental part in the Arizona Diamondbacks clinching their first postseason berth in six years.
2) Blake Snell, San Diego Padres
32 G, 32 GS, 14-9, 2.25 ERA, 180.0 IP, 182 ERA+, 3.44 FIP, 1.189 WHIP, 11.7 SO9, 2.36 SO/W, 6.0 WAR
Snell is the favorite to win the award, and will most likely receive his second Cy Young this fall from the BBWAA. However, we went in a different direction in our selections.
1) Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
33 G, 33 GS, 11-13, 3.25 ERA, 216.0 IP, 130 ERA+, 3.16 FIP, 1.074 WHIP, 8.1 SO9, 6.26 SO/W, 5.6 WAR
Logan Webb's ERA may be a full run higher than Snell's, but Webb pitched much deeper into games than Snell did. Webb made just one more start than Snell, but clocked 36 more innings than his division rival. Webb gave his club the rough equivalent of six more six-inning starts or seven more five-inning starts, than Snell. Despite pitching deeper into games, Webb still managed to post a lower WHIP and FIP and a higher SO/W rate.
Pitching has changed radically over the last fifteen years. Gone are the days of pitchers regularly pitching into the eighth inning. Now, less is asked of pitchers. Instead of pacing themselves for eight or nine innings, starters are emptying the tank for five, maybe six innings. A pitcher that can go deep into games and preserve his club's bullpen, while still keeping a low ERA and WHIP, is more impressive to me than a starter with a lower ERA that does not pitch as deep into games. To me, Webb is more valuable than Snell is, and for that reason, Webb should be the NL Cy Young Award winner.
