The Los Angeles Dodgers were once again led by their starting pitching last season, with Zack Greinke turning in the best year of his career and Clayton Kershaw continuing to make his case as this generation’s best pitcher.
Along with Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, Greinke and Kershaw are finalists for the 2015 National League Cy Young, with the winner set to be announced Tuesday afternoon.
Kershaw has won the award in each of the last two years, and three of the last four years. However, he’s largely expected to play second fiddle in the 2015 race to Arrieta and Greinke, who are believed to be neck-and-neck.
Kershaw finished the season 16-7 with a 2.13 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. He led the Majors in FIP (1.99), xFIP (2.09), SIERA (2.24), strikeout percentage (33.8 percent), strikeout-to-walk ratio (29.1 percent) and innings pitched (232.2).
The Dodgers’ ace also tied with Arrieta, among others for an MLB-best four complete games and three shutouts. Moreover, Kershaw’s 301 strikeouts made him the first pitcher since 2002 to post a 300-strikeout season.
Ahead of the Cy Young announcement, below are a few of Kershaw’s highlights from the 2015 season:
Not to be outdone, Greinke was 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP. He led the Majors in ERA, ERA+ (225) and WHIP. Relive some of his wire-to-wire dominance:
Should Greinke win the Cy Young Award, it would be the second of his career and first in the NL. This offseason Greinke has already collected a Rawlings Gold Glove Award and was named the NL Outstanding Pitcher by his peers.
