Cleveland Indians: Corey Kluber’s case for AL Cy Young over Chris Sale

The 2017 Cleveland Indians season is almost over and that means time is running out for Corey Kluber to add to his case for the American League Cy Young Award.

The Cleveland Indians are on their way to October. With 11 games remaining, they are merely fighting for playoff seeding.

The Indians clinched the division over the weekend and now sit at the number one seed in the American League. This is in large part due to Corey Kluber and his spectacular contributions along the way.

Kluber’s season got off to a rocky start. After going 3-1 in April, he made one start in May before going on the disabled list with lower back issues.

Kluber’s stint on the DL lasted the entire month of May. The moment he returned to the rotation he was like a brand new man.

Before his DL stint, Kluber had six starts and went 4-2 with a 5.09 ERA and just a 3.15 strikeout to walk ratio. This is not a terrible line for a pitcher but fans know Kluber did not look like himself.

Kluber would miss the next three starts and all of May. What he has done since June 1 is where he has made his case to be the AL Cy Young winner in 2017.

Since June 1, Kluber has been an absolute monster on the mound. He has posted a stat line of 21 starts with a 17-2 record, 1.69 ERA, 211 strikeouts and 21 walks which comes out to a 10.05 SO:BB ratio, all in 154.1 innings pitched.

These numbers are dominant just as Kluber has been in nearly ever start of the year since his return to the rotation. Kluber also has five complete game starts in 2017, three of which are shutouts.

Chris Sale has been dominant in the 2017 season as well and is rightfully atop the Cy Young watch list. Had Kluber not been on the DL for three starts this season, he would be the front-runner in this race.

Kluber leads Sale in record, ERA, WHIP, average against, win percentage, and has those five complete games and three shutouts. Sale has one complete game and zero shutouts.

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Kluber has had an amazing season and his second half numbers are better than his 2014 Cy Young season. In 2014 he had a second half line of 9-3, 1.73 ERA 2 CG, 1 SHO, 0.96 WHIP and 10.99 K/9.

Kluber’s 2014 second half is what solidified his Cy Young award. His 2017 second half has been even better.

Kluber’s second half line sits at 10-1, 1.92 ERA, 3 CG, 1 SHO, 0.72 WHIP, and 11.85 K/9. His ERA is up but the overall numbers are clearly better.

Corey Kluber has done all he can to prove he is worth a vote for AL Cy Young in 2017. The race is on and it will be close.

The Indians’ record stands at 94-57 and they clinched their second consecutive division title. Corey Kluber will likely have two more starts before the season officially ends.

That is two more chances to show the voters he is the only choice for the Cy Young Award. Even though the race is close, Kluber has already done enough to win.

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The goal for Kluber is to obviously help his team to get back to the fall classic. It will be up to the voters to make the right choice and reward Kluber for a stellar year.