Levine: The Case For A 2nd Cy Young Award For Jake Arrieta
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Will the tank be full enough for Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta to win back-to-back Cy Young awards ?
The handicapping for this honor could be historic from a team perspective. No Cubs pitcher has won the award in consecutive seasons. After winning the award following a dominant second half in 2015, Arrieta hasn't been the sexy choice even as the best pitcher on his team for a portion of this season. Cubs teammate Kyle Hendricks is second in the NL in ERA and will be first soon enough as Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw continues to sit out and won't reach the qualifying threshold.
Meanwhile, Arrieta is second in the league in victories and would be touted on a grander scale if he hadn't gone on that incredible 22-1 run from July 2015 through late May of this season. He simply set the bar so high for himself.
"Yeah, there are certain things you try to replicate," Arrieta said after allowing one run in 5 2/3 innings and getting the win against the Cardinals on Friday. "You try to carry it over for the good of the ball club. I try to give it that same effort in each outing. That said, there is a lot of room to improve on. That is what I try to do in between starts."
The top pitcher award was formulated in 1956. Since that time, Fergie Jenkins (1971), Bruce Sutter (1979), Rick Sutcliffe (1984), Greg Maddux (1992) and Arrieta last season are the Cubs who have won the honor.
Arrieta wouldn't be considered the favorite as of today. After winning his 14th game of the season Friday, he's one win behind National right-hander Stephen Strasburg for the NL lead. The voting would be close but weighted toward Strasburg right now.
Still, Arrieta has been strong. His 2.55 ERA is fifth in the NL, and his 1.03 WHIP is seventh.
"You look at his numbers -- they are outstanding," Joe Maddon said of Arrieta.
"You are probably right, that you become more hypercritical after seeing what the guy achieved last year. What he did last year is almost impossible to replicate. That was just about wire-to-wire incredible. The way he started out today reminded me of it. He had the fastball pounding in the zone. If we caught the ball more for him, he would have gone deeper in the game, for sure."
The 30-year-old Arrieta does lead in ERA over Strasburg, who has a 2.80 mark. Arrieta has also held opponents to a .189 batting average, while Strasburg checks in at .202 in that department.
"Well I think I am competing with Hendricks right now," Arrieta joked about the Cy Young award. "We joke back and forth, and we have for most of the year."
Arreita is an incredible 50-18 in 90 starts since arriving in Chicago in July 2013.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
