Trevor Bauer is looking to become the Cincinnati Reds first ever Cy Young Award winner later tonight. The announcement is set to be made for the winners in both the National League and American League on MLB Network’s announcement show at 6pm ET.
The Cincinnati Reds have had five second place finishes in their history when it comes to Cy Young Awards, but they’ve never had a winner. Bauer’s 2020 season may give them the best shot. He led the National League in ERA, WHIP, batting average against, hits allowed per 9-innings pitched, shutouts, and ERA+. He also finished second in the league in strikeouts and strikeouts per 9-innings pitched.
While it appears that Trevor Bauer is the favorite to win the award, there’s some argument to be made that perhaps things could go to the New York Mets Jacob deGrom or the Chicago Cubs Yu Darvish if you take a very deep dive into breaking down things in a shortened 60-game season where teams only played within their own division and the opponents each faced along the way. It’s not a particularly strong argument in this particular writers opinion, but it’s out there and has been made by more than a few smart people. We’ll all find out together.
David Bell finishes 9th in NL Manager of the Year
While we all await the results of the Cy Young Award voting, on Tuesday evening it was the Manager of the Year that was announced. Voters were given three votes – a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place vote – and there were 30 voters who covered the National League, two from each city (except Milwaukee, who didn’t have enough eligible voters and had a writer from another city vote in that place). David Bell, the Cincinnati Reds manager who led the team into the playoffs for the first time since 2013, garnered two 3rd place votes. Mark Schmetzer, who works out of the Cincinnati chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, and Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com voted for Bell. You can see the entire vote here.
Well I suppose bell is better than the rays manager in the world series. I mean cmon, you shouldn’t have removed snell.
If Bell is the 9th best, I pity the teams lower down the list. And yes, Bell would have pulled Snell, likely earlier. Bauer should win, whether he does is a different question.
“If Bell is the 9th best. I pity the teams lower down the list.” Hahaha!
Was it due to his outstanding motivational abilities? Has to be that. Those post game press conferences were “stimulating”.
You guys are killing me. Hahaha!
I feel like there is a New York Mets angle in this, whether Bauer wins or not.
(And he certainly should, IMO.)
If he wins, it adds to his market value and an even better “get” for the Mets new owner, who said yesterday in his first press conference that they would spend “like a major market team.”
If Bauer doesn’t win, the Mets pitch this to his agent, “This should prove he has to be in a major market to win the Cy Young. Join us, and he is a favorite for it in ’21.”
Also, if Bauer wins and joins Mets, would give them the last 3 Cy winners (deGrom, deGrom, Bauer).
…thank Goodness Jacob DeGrom is only one person… and they don’t have three cy youngs at once.