Cleveland Indians: Corey Kluber and the Tribe’s Greatest Cy Young Season Ever

May 5, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Bartolo Colon (40) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a their inter league baseball game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Bartolo Colon vs. Corey Kluber

Let’s get this out of the way: Colon doesn’t exactly belong on this list, as his Cy Young award was won four seasons after he last pitched as an Indian. However, he IS the only other recent Cleveland alum to take home the prize, and so he’s being included, because who doesn’t love Bartolo Colon? After five and a half seasons in a Tribe uniform, Colon bounced around before ending up in Los Angeles. With the Angels, he put together an impressive 2005 campaign. With a 21-8 record, Colon posted a 3.48 ERA and a 3.75 FIP. He walked just 43 of the 906 batters he faced that season, which was perhaps the most impressive part of his season

Unfortunately for him, Kluber puts that year to shame. He blew away Colon’s ERA and FIP by more than a run each. While Kluber’s record wasn’t quite as good, he was working with a team whose best players – Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley – were both battling injuries, and a lineup that didn’t feature many hitters over .250, let alone .300. Colon had a great season by all standards, but he doesn’t even begin to compare with Kluber’s 2014.

Thirty-five years after Perry took home his award, the Tribe had their next active Cy Young winner in C.C. Sabathia: