Chicago Cubs teammates Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester, and Washington Nationals 20-game winner Max Scherzer were named finalists for the 2016 National League Cy Young Award.
Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw’s streak of five straight finishes in the top three in voting for the Cy Young Award was snapped at an MLB-record five years. The 2016 season was unlike any other for Kershaw, as was forced to the disabled list for only the second time in his career.
Upon returning in September, Kershaw gradually built up his pitch count in preparation for the postseason. The 28-year-old went 1-2 with a 1.29 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched across five starts during the final month of the regular season.
Overall in 2016, Kershaw was 12-4 with a 1.69 ERA, 230 ERA+, 1.80 FIP, 0.73 WHIP, three complete games and averaged 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
Kershaw won the Cy Young in 2011, 2013 and 2014, finished second to R.A. Dickey in 2012, and third behind winner Jake Arrieta and Zack Greinke.
Hendricks finished the season 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA, 188 ERA+ and 0.98 WHIP in 31 games (30 starts). He was particularly dominant at home, going 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA. Hendricks led the Majors in overall ERA.
He went 1-1 and allowed just one run to the Dodgers in 12.2 innings in two starts during the NL Championship Series. Hendricks was nearly perfect in the clinching-Game 6, holding Los Angeles to just a pair of hits in 7.1 frames.
Lester’s 2.44 ERA was second only to his right-handed teammate, though Lester reigned as the Cubs’ ace. The veteran lefty went 19-5 with a 3.41 FIP and 1.02 WHIP in 32 starts.
Lester was 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in six games (five starts) this postseason, which included holding the Dodgers to a combined two runs over 13 innings in two starts in the NLCS.
Scherzer was one of three pitchers to win at least 20 games this season. He led baseball with 284 strikeouts, tied for the NL lead with 34 starts, and led the NL with 228.1 innings pitched. Scherzer went 20-7 with a 2.96 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.
He faced the Dodgers twice in the NL Division Series, going 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA over 12 innings pitched.
