The AL Cy Young award is a wide open race. Should it go to the guy with the best stats? The one who plays for the best team? Let’s take a look.

Zack Greinke. Who knew the kid had it in him? Greinke seemingly came out of nowhere in 2009, and many dismissed his scorching hot start, thinking he’d eventually lose his stuff. He really hasn’t. With a 12-8 record, an AL-best 2.42 ERA, an AL second-best 197 strikeouts, 5 CGs (tied for most in the AL), and the lowest WHIP (1.12), Greinke has all of the stats that a Cy Young winner would typically have, and then some. Unfortunately, he plays for a bad team and this may limit his chances.

The next guy in line after Greinke (ERA-wise) is Felix Hernandez, at 2.73. A very solid year and 173 strikeouts, the young pitcher has looked great all season. Has he made a difference to his team? Absolutely, just look at his record (12-5).

Roy Halladay. The subject of many trade rumors last month, and with good reason. Halladay’s 13-7 record, 3.03 ERA, 5 complete games, and just 24 walks (less than one per game – talk about control) are some of the best in baseball.

Justin Verlander’s strikeouts, and the fact that he plays for a first place team, make for a great story. Couple that with the fact that he’s bounced back from a disappointing 2008, and this makes for a great Cy Young story.

CC Sabathia makes for a great story too. Having signed a huge contract with the Yankees, where many pitchers crumble under the pressure, Sabathia has put together a great season for a team that’s done the same. His somewhat high ERA should be adjusted somewhat since Yankee Stadium is literally a launching pad.

In all likelihood, one of these pitchers will win the award. If it’s somehow not one of these, it’ll be one of the following two.

Edwin Jackson’s numbers aren’t flashy, and he probably won’t win an award for this reason. Still, his ERA is the 3rd best in the AL and he could always contend for the award with a great finish – especially if the others slip.

Josh Beckett’s ERA is on the high side, but he has a great win-loss record and has also bounced back in 2009. If he leads the Sox to the playoffs, he could always win it.

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