4:17 AM UTC
Thomas Harrigan
@HarriganMLBWith less than four weeks to go until the end of the regular season, two clear frontrunners remain in the Cy Young Award races. However, one race appears to be much closer than the other.
You can find the results of our latest Cy Young Award poll below.
MLB.com experts were asked to rank their top five Cy Young picks in each league, based on what's happened so far and what they expect will happen the rest of the season. Pitchers received vote points on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale – five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on, with 31 voters participating.
All stats below are through Sunday.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers (30 first-place votes)
Skubal has been incredible all year long for Detroit, and August was no exception. After allowing five runs in his first start of the month, the left-hander went 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 32 innings over his final five outings. He could win the pitching Triple Crown in the AL, as he currently leads the league in wins (16), ERA (2.51) and strikeouts (201). Amazingly, his ERA is 0.52 runs lower than any other AL qualifier.
2. Logan Gilbert, RHP, Mariners
Baserunners have been hard to come by against Gilbert, who leads MLB with a 0.90 WHIP, having allowed just 124 hits with 31 walks in 171 2/3 innings (second most in the AL) entering Monday’s start against the A’s. The Mariners righty also ranks third in the AL in ERA (3.09) and fifth in strikeouts (172).
3. Corbin Burnes, RHP, Orioles
Burnes kept things close with Skubal over the first four months, but his chances of overtaking the Tigers lefty took a major hit in August. The O's ace posted a 7.36 ERA over five starts during the month, causing his ERA on the year to jump from 2.47 to 3.23. Burnes also ranks outside the AL’s top 10 in strikeouts, with 150 over 164 1/3 innings.
4-T. Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians (1 first-place vote)
Clase has been virtually untouchable while leading baseball’s best bullpen this season. The right-hander owns a 0.71 ERA with a 0.68 WHIP and a 6.88 K/BB ratio over 63 1/3 innings and has converted 40 of his 43 save chances. If he keeps it up, he could become the first reliever to finish among the top five in either league’s Cy Young Award voting since Kenley Jansen placed fifth in the NL in 2017.
4-T. Seth Lugo, RHP, Royals
Lugo has been a fantastic addition for the Royals, posting a 3.12 ERA over an AL-leading 179 innings after signing with the club in free agency. The veteran right-hander had a bit of a rough patch in August, but he finished the month on a high note, striking out nine over seven innings of one-run ball against the Astros on Friday.
Others receiving votes: Cole Ragans (Royals), Framber Valdez (Astros), Garrett Crochet (White Sox), Tanner Houck (Red Sox), Bryce Miller (Mariners), Ronel Blanco (Astros), George Kirby (Mariners), Josh Hader (Astros)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Chris Sale, LHP, Braves (31 first-place votes)
Despite a streak of seven consecutive top-six finishes in the AL voting from 2012-18, the Cy Young Award eluded Sale in his prime. However, after years of battling injuries, the left-hander has put together an outstanding bounceback season that has him on the verge of his first win. Like Skubal, Sale is a candidate to win the pitching Triple Crown -- he leads the NL in ERA (2.58) and wins (15) and is four K’s behind the Padres’ Dylan Cease for first in that category.
2. Zack Wheeler, RHP, Phillies
Sale may have been a unanimous choice for first place in our poll, but the race remains razor thin. Wheeler ranks second in the NL in ERA (2.63) and opponents’ batting average (.196), first in WHIP (0.98) and third in K’s (183). Depending on what happens over the final few weeks, he could very well be the one who secures his first Cy Young Award rather than Sale.
3. Hunter Greene, RHP, Reds
Greene went on the injured list with right elbow soreness on Aug. 17, stalling a breakout season in which he has posted a 2.83 ERA with 162 strikeouts over 143 1/3 innings. Greene, who had a remarkable 0.98 ERA in seven starts from July 6-Aug. 13, recently began a throwing program and hasn’t been ruled out for the year.
4. Dylan Cease, RHP, Padres
Although he has a penchant for inconsistency, Cease can be as dominant as anyone when he’s on. Including his no-hitter on July 25, Cease has made six starts this season with at least six innings and no more than one hit allowed, three more than any other pitcher. The right-hander is tied with Skubal for the MLB lead with 201 strikeouts, marking his fourth straight season with at least 200 K’s.
5. Logan Webb, RHP, Giants
After leading all pitchers with 216 innings last season en route to a second-place finish in the NL Cy Young voting, Webb once again leads MLB in that category. The durable right-hander has pitched to a 3.43 ERA over 183 2/3 innings, notching 154 strikeouts with 44 walks and allowing just 10 homers -- a product of one of the highest ground-ball rates (57.5%) in the Majors.
Others receiving votes: Paul Skenes (Pirates), Michael King (Padres), Shota Imanaga (Cubs), Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies), Aaron Nola (Phillies), Blake Snell (Giants), Jack Flaherty (Dodgers), Sean Manaea (Mets), Reynaldo López (Braves), Gavin Stone (Dodgers)
