Are these the frontrunners for the Cy Young Award this year?

Much has been made about the effect the pitch clock has had on the 2023 MLB season, especially as it relates to the pitchers themselves. A small group of players have managed to overcome that potential impediment by stifling hitters all year long. We’ll take a closer look at the frontrunners for the Cy Young award in the American League and National League.

The Braves have been the best team in baseball from start to finish, and Strider’s reliability every five days is a major reason why. He always profiled as a front-of-the-rotation starter, but it’s surprising to see him reach such a high level so early in his career. He’s the league leader in strikeouts by a country mile.

Snell had somewhat fallen off the radar as a bigtime starting pitcher after he left the Tampa Bay Rays, but he’s had a tremendous season in San Diego. While it’s going to be tough for him to beat Strider out in the National League, Snell does have the ability to finish out the season immaculately. He already won one Cy Young in his career while with Tampa Bay.

The Cubs have been a fun surprise in MLB this season, as their rebuilding plan has accelerated quickly. Part of that speedy turnaround can be attributed to the improved play of Steele, who has taken his game to another level in 2023. Chicago has an interesting decision to make down the stretch, as Steele has far exceeded his career high in innings pitched this year.

Anyone not named Spencer Strider would likely be overlooked in Atlanta’s rotation, but Morton has been rock solid since the start of the season. It’s not surprising that he would rise to the occasion on a competitive team, as the veteran has pitched in many big games throughout his career. He’s in the Cy Young conversation, if only peripherally.

After Gray couldn’t get it done with New York, many wrote him off as overpaid and overrated. Since he left the New York Yankees after the 2018 campaign, he’s recaptured some of the magic that got him noticed in the first place. Gray hasn’t made a lot of hitters swing and miss, but he’s induced enough soft contact to give him one of the lowest ERA’s in the game.

The Yankees are in the midst of their worst season in a long time, but Cole’s performance can’t be blamed for their futility. He’s been as good as advertised despite the adversity around him. His statistics are right up there in several major categories, and has a strong of winning his first Cy Young award.

It’s pretty rare in sports when two teams make a trade that works out very well for both sides. The Twins and Miami Marlins made such a swap before the 2023 season, where Minnesota acquired Lopez to improve their rotation. He’s done just that, taking the ball consistently and providing the Twins with excellent production.

The Rays always seem to be a step ahead of their competition, and they’ve struck gold again by bringing Eflin in from the Philadelphia Phillies. The right hander was a good pitcher with the Phillies, but he’s become borderline great on his new team. He’s going to have a chance to finish with the most wins of any pitcher in the American League.