Dylan Bundy and the Campaign to Win the 2018 AL Cy Young Award

[TommyPickles]

It’s been a rough start to the season. One bright spot, however, is Dylan Bundy is off to a brilliant start and I believe he has a chance to win the AL Cy Young award. Yes yes, this is a long shot, and it’s a long season, but why not have some fun. Let’s take a look at how he’s stacking up so far:

 

According to Fangraphs:

Bundy is tied with Max Scherzer for the highest WAR of any pitcher in MLB at 1.1. 

Bundy is 3rd in the AL in IP (25.2).

Bundy is 4th in the AL in ERA (1.40) of pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings. 

Bundy is tied for 3rd in the AL in strikeouts (31). 

 

Dare to dream?

 

 

[allquixotic]

Can someone win a Cy Young award with zero wins?

[Frobby]

Bundy was pretty high up several lists through 11 starts last year (2.89 ERA in 71.2 innings).    So yes, I dare to dream, but he’ll need to show he won’t wear down after a couple of months.   I think the fact that Buck is being slightly cautious with Bundy’s workload in the early going is a good sign that he’ll do what he can to help Bundy stay crisp as the season progresses.  

[Moose Milligan]

It'd be cool, but he's gotta contend with Sale and Kluber.  I don't see him in that light, yet.

I think it's harder to win when you're on a losing team, too.

[SurhoffRules]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

I think it's harder to win when you're on a losing team, too.

I agree hard but not impossible.  In the AL Lee, Grienke, and Hernandez won the AL in 08, 09, and 10 playing for .500 or markedly worse teams(SEA lost 101 games the year Felix won).

[OFFNY]

3 hours ago, TommyPickles said:

 

It’s been a rough start to the season. One bright side, however, Dylan Bundy is off to a brilliant start, and I believe he has a chance to win the AL Cy Young award. Yes this is a long shot, and it’s a long season, but why not have some fun ??? Let’s take a look at how he’s stacking up so far:

 

According to Fangraphs:

Bundy is tied with Max Scherzer for the highest WAR of any pitcher in MLB at 1.1. 

Bundy is 3rd in the AL in IP (25.67.)

Bundy is 4th in the AL in ERA (1.40) of pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings. 

Bundy is tied for 3rd in the AL in strikeouts (31.)

 

Dare to dream ???

 

o

 

While Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young Award with a 13-12 record in 2010 (dispelling the notion that a starting pitcher necessarily has to have at least a very good W-L record to win it), I would still make Bundy a pretty heavy underdog to take the award it in 2018. As Moose Milligan pointed out, he'll have some fierce competition to be contending with with the likes of Chris Sale and Corey Kluber, both of whom have already had multiple Cy Young-like seasons in their career (Bundy has not had any yet.)

 

If I were a gambler I might put a few dollars on Bundy with 4-1 odds in my favor, but I wouldn't get my hopes up for a at least another 2 or 3 months of it actually happening.

 

o

[Can_of_corn]

Would be pretty sweet to see a starting pitcher with zero wins capture the Cy Young.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, birdwatcher55 said:

When was the last Cy Young winner on a 65 win team??

Steve Carlton won it in 1972 on a team that went 59-97.

[OFFNY]

6 minutes ago, birdwatcher55 said:

 

When was the last Cy Young winner on a 65 win team ???

 

o

 

In 1972, Steve Carlton won the Cy Young Award for the Phillies in a strike-shortened season.

The Phillies went 57-97 with 8 non-played games.

Carlton went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA, 30 Complete Games, 8 Shutouts, and 310 Strikeouts over 346.33 Innings Pitched.

 

o

[VaBird1]

4 hours ago, allquixotic said:

Can someone win a Cy Young award with zero wins?

Not being funny or trying to be contrary, but what does “win” or a “loss” measure?  If a pitcher can get a loss, why not a fielder or hitter?

[Aglets]

7 minutes ago, VaBird1 said:

Not being funny or trying to be contrary, but what does “win” or a “loss” measure?  If a pitcher can get a loss, why not a fielder or hitter?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Win–loss_record_(pitching)

The 'pitching win' dates back to the 19th century and has never really gone away........to the chagrin of many.

[NCRaven]

40 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

Carlton went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA, 30 Complete Games, 8 Shutouts, and 310 Strikeouts over 346.33 Innings Pitched.

 

o

That is sick!

[Hallas]

5 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Would be pretty sweet to see a starting pitcher with zero wins capture the Cy Young.

It would be funny.

I assume that the pitcher in question would go something like 0-3 in 30 starts with 27 NDs, and have somewhere around a 1.75 ERA with similarly good FIP/xFIP and at least 10 K/9.

At which point. I would wonder which is sadder, that a 0-win pitcher won the CYA, or the fact that a pitcher with a 1.75 ERA and qualifying innings couldn't get a win.

[tntoriole]

4 hours ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

In 1972, Steve Carlton won the Cy Young Award for the Phillies in a strike-shortened season.

The Phillies went 57-97 with 8 non-played games.

Carlton went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA, 30 Complete Games, 8 Shutouts, and 310 Strikeouts over 346.33 Innings Pitched.

 

o

If Dylan does that, I am pretty sure he will win it. 

[OFFNY]

5 hours ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

In 1972, Steve Carlton won the Cy Young Award for the Phillies in a strike-shortened season.

The Phillies went 57-97 with 8 non-played games.

Carlton went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA, 30 Complete Games, 8 Shutouts, and 310 Strikeouts over 346.33 Innings Pitched.

 

o

 

 

4 minutes ago, tntoriole said:

 

If Bundy does that, I am pretty sure that he will win it. 

 

o

 

Carlton might have won 29 games that season, if not for the players' strike.

 

o