Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers: 17-3, 1.61 ERA
The MLB leader with the lowest ERA (1.61) and the lowest WHIP (0.85), Greinke is the favorite to win the NL Cy Young award. His 17 wins are certainly impressive, but his three losses are even more unbelievable.
Obviously a pitcher’s win/loss record isn’t 100 percent conducive on the pitcher’s outings, but three losses needs to be recognized. For reference, since 1967, there has never been an NL starting pitcher to win the Cy Young with only three losses. Additionally, Greinke’s 1.61 ERA is “once-in-a-lifetime” impressive. A great ERA for an MLB starter is anything under 3.00, and Greinke is crushing that by 1.39 points.
Besides Kershaw’s 2013 and 2014 sub two ERA’s, the last Cy Young winner (who was a starter) with a sub 2.00 season-long ERA was Pedro Martinez’s ERA of 1.74 in 2000, and he is now in the Hall of Fame. If Greinke can keep his ERA under two, which he will have no problem doing, and cap his loss total at three, there is no reason why he won’t win the NL Cy Young award.