2010-2012 Cy Young winners: Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, and David Price. Jered Weaver's Cy Young finishes the last three years: 5th, 2nd, 3rd. How to win the Cy Young: Throw 200+ innings with the lowest ERA in the league.
That's what the past three gents have done to clinch the award for best pitcher in the bigs. Weaver had a career best 20 wins last season, but so did 2012 Cy winner David Price. When Felix won it in 2010, he had a 13-12 record. However, he had a 2.27 ERA. Hernandez plays for a Seattle team who finally made some moves to provide some offense this season while also moving the fences in. Seattle finished in the bottom five of offensive runs produced in 2010. That year Felix threw 249 innings with six complete games.
The next year was Verlander's year. 2011 for Justin looked like the Pedro Martinez of 1999. Absolutely unhittable. Only the 10th player to win the Cy Young and MVP, the first since 1992. Don Newcombe was the first to do it in 1956; the first year of the Cy Young. It is fair to say that Verlander has established himself as the most dominant figure on the mound in the game today. That 2011 season when Verlander didn't seem human, Weaver finished right behind him.
David Price was the 2012 winner and it's okay to call it controversial. A fabulous year no-doubt, but the only pitching category he led in was ERA. It was only .08 points lower than Verlander, and Verlander led in innings pitched and strike outs. Weaver missed 3-4 starts last season due to a few nagging injuries and still had a career best in wins.
A solid start on opening night didn't get him the win, but he did his job. Six strong, giving up one run, but was pinch-hit for because the Angels had a chance to score in the top of the 7th. Weaver will only be pitching in National League parks maybe once or twice more (at Dodgers, Cubs, & Brewers). American League park, he stays in the game. With a high powered offense, the hope is to get runs on the board early and often. On paper they look great, but they still have to produce. If this offense can produce as they should, Weaver will be pitching with leads and an ample of opportunities to win multiple games without trying to win them himself. If you ask any pitcher, pitching with a one or two run lead is a lot easier than pitching with a tie game or down a run. It's hard to get to Weaver when he's in cruise control.
"Well what about Felix with that sorry Mariners offense in 2010?" Without Felix they would've lost 125 instead of 101. He was all they had and that's why he had to go the distance every time out. Plus he pitched at Safeco, which up until this year was one of the bigger parks in the bigs. Finishing in the top five of the Cy Young finalists the last three years in admirable. After the top five great pitchers in the American League, there is a drop off to the pretty good pitchers. The last two years Weav has had a sub two ERA. With the Astros now in the west and Texas losing some big players, it's Weavers time to take the crown.
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