Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw Continues to Make Strong Case for NL MVP
By Brad Faber
@Brad_Faber
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Three short years ago, Detroit Tigers then-ace Justin Verlander brought home the American League Cy Young award and also the AL MVP award, becoming the first pitcher to achieve such a feat since Dennis Eckersley in 1992, and the first starting pitcher to do so since Roger Clemens all the way back in 1986. All in all, it marked just the 10th time a pitcher won a Cy Young and an MVP in the same season.
Fast forward to 2014, and Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, who is widely considered to be the best pitcher in MLB, has a chance to become the first National League pitcher to win both a Cy Young and an MVP award since Bob Gibson did it back in 1968 — when he famously posted an infinitesimal ERA of 1.12.
On Friday afternoon, Kershaw took the mound against the Chicago Cubs, boasting an extremely impressive 19-3 record despite missing the entire month of April with a back injury. While he didn’t necessarily have his A-game this afternoon, he did manage to go five innings, allowing seven hits, three earned runs, three walks and recorded nine strikeouts. The Dodgers would ultimately win the contest by a score of 14-5, and Kershaw would pick up his MLB-leading 20th win of the season.
Kershaw continues to lead baseball in a number of other categories as well, including ERA (1.80), WHIP (0.86) and complete games (six).
While Kershaw winning his third NL Cy Young award in the past four seasons may be a foregone conclusion, the probability of him winning the NL MVP should continue to remain high as well.
Obviously, there are some, however, who hold the more traditional view that the MVP award should go to an everyday position player, and Kershaw will certainly face competition from players such as Giancarlo Stanton, Andrew McCutchen and Buster Posey.
Many seem to believe that Kershaw and Stanton are the two leading candidates, but there is also the age-old argument that the MVP should go to a player who was part of a postseason team, and Stanton’s team, the Miami Marlins, currently sit in third place in the NL East with a 74-78 record. The Dodgers, on the other hand, may clinch a playoff berth tonight if the Milwaukee Brewers happen to lose.
Stanton, of course, is now officially out for the season as well, unable to add to the numbers he was putting up prior to his injury, leaving him with a still very impressive slash line of .288/.395/.555 with 37 home runs and 105 RBIs this season.
Lastly, the year Verlander won the MVP, one may be tempted to argue that his competition may have been deeper than Kershaw’s. Back in 2011, there were many position players who were putting up MVP-caliber seasons in the AL such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Jose Bautista, Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Adrian Gonzalez and, of course, Verlander’s teammate, Miguel Cabrera, who would go on to win the MVP award in both 2012 and 2013.
At any rate, it truly takes an exceptional season for a pitcher to win an MVP award, and Kershaw’s would obviously qualify. It should be fun to see what voters decide on in the very near future.
Brad Faber is a Detroit Tigers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Brad_Faber, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.
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