If you were to ask me who I would pick as the 2010 NL CY Young award winner I would have to say "The Doc" Roy Halladay! But in baseball noting comes easy and there's always a price to pay. Halladay could easily have 20 or more wins on the 2010 season but in this game sometimes things don't always go your way. The goal right now for the most part is to stay in first place in the NL East and win the Phillies 4th straight division title and head into the postseason. Halladay was brought over here last winter to help this ball club get back the World Series for 3rd straight time and be first team in the NL to back to World Series 3 times in a row since the 1940 St. Louis Cardinals did so. Right now Halladay has 17 wins under his belt and with 3 or 4 more starts he could reach 20 wins on the season. In Halladay's career he has only reached 20 or more wins twice in 2003 when he won his first ever CY Young award with the Blue Jays winning 22 games, had an ERA of 3.25, threw 204 strikeouts, and had 266.0 IP (innings pitched). The other time was back in 2008 also with the Blue Jays when he won 20 games, had an ERA of 2.78, threw 206 strikeouts, and had 246.0 IP, CY Young type numbers? Well he came up short to a former Phillie in Cliff Lee who won 22 games, had an ERA of 2.54, threw 170 strikeouts, and had 223.1 IP in 2008 for the Cleveland Indians. Needless to say Halladay has been everything the Phillies could ask for in 2010 and filling in the ace role. Halladay is also 1 of 5 pitchers to throw a no-hitter and a perfect game this year along with Ubaldo Jimenez, Dallas Braden who threw the first perfect game, Edwin Jackson, and Matt Garza. With the month of September almost coming to a close and the postseason right around the corner it will be Halladay's first ever trip to the postseason with guys like Cole Hamels and new comer Roy Oawalt added to this already great pitching rotation who have had successes before in the playoffs, Halladay should have no problem. He's a big time pitcher in a big time satiation.
As for the triple crown in pitching well it’s probably one the hardest things to do. You have to be 1st in everything, ERA, Wins, and Strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 3rd in ERA, 3rd in wins, and 3rd in strikeouts. Tim Lincecum right now is the leader in strikeouts with 199 K's, Mat Latos is the leader in ERA with a 2.21, and Adam Wainwright and Ubaldo Jimenez are both tied for wins with 18. So if Halladay wants to try to win the Triple Crown in pitching he will have to overcome all 4 of those pitchers. The last Phillies pitcher to win the Triple Crown was "Lefty" Steve Carlton back in 1972. Lefty won 27 games, had an ERA of 1.97, and had 310 strikeouts. The last National League pitcher to win the Triple Crown was Jake Peavy for the San Diego Padres back in 2007. He won 19 games, had an ERA of 2.54, and had 240 strikeouts. If I'm Halladay I think my main focus is getting into the postseason and try to get to the World Series. I mean really that should be ever pitchers focus at this point. Yeah rewards are nice, but championships priceless.
Top 5 NL CY Young cannonades
1. St. Louis Cardinals
Adam Wainwright - ERA 2.38 (4th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 191 strikeouts (4th in the NL), and 208.1 IP (2nd in the NL).
2. Colorado Rockies
Ubaldo Jimenez - ERA 2.79 (7th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 178 strikeouts (7th in the NL), and 190.1 IP (9th in the NL).
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Roy Halladay - ERA 2.36 (3rd in the NL), 17 wins (3rd in the NL), 196 strikeouts (3rd in the NL), and 221.0 IP (1st in the NL).
4. San Diego Padres
Mat Latos - ERA 2.21 (1st in the NL), 14 wins (6th in the NL), 170 strikeouts (11th in the NL), and 162.2 IP.
5. Atlanta Braves
Tim Hudson - ERA 2.41 (5th in the NL), 15 wins (4th in the NL), 117 strikeouts, and 198.0 IP (5th in the NL).
You be the judge on who should win the 2010 NL CY Young Award.
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