NL Cy Young Candidate: Brandon Webb
A Profile on the Arizona Diamondback Ace
Arizona’s Brandon Webb, Milwaukee’s CC Sabathia, New York’s Johan Santana, and San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum have emerged to be the leading candidates for the 2008 NL Cy Young Award. In part one of this series, Brandon Webb’s 2008 campaign will be reviewed.
Brandon Webb began the 2008 season extremely hot, winning his first nine starts of the season. Not surprisingly, the Diamondbacks followed theirs ace’s lead; the team started the season with a Major League best 20-8 record. The Diamondbacks were unable to sustain their hot start, finishing the season second in the NL West with a somewhat disappointing 82-80 record. Despite his team’s mid and late season struggles, Brandon Webb was consistently strong throughout the entire season.
Reasons Webb Will Win
Webb’s consistent brilliance on the mound led to a 22-7 record in 34 starts in 2008. Webb’s 22 victories this season led the National league and his .759 winning percentage ranked him second only to San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum (.783).
Webb’s other 2008 numbers were also quite impressive. His 226.2 innings pitched ranked him fourth in the NL in innings pitched, and his 1.20 WHIP ranked eleventh. Webb also pitched three complete games, including one shutout. Overall, Webb put up solid numbers to warrant a potential Cy Young Award.
Reasons Webb Won’t Win
As impressive as Webb’s numbers are, there are several factors that could potentially hurt his chances of winning the award. First, Webb’s ERA of 3.30 is more than half a run higher than any of the other three candidates. Additionally, Webb’s 183 strikeouts are the lowest in this group of potential Cy Young winners, and his .242 opponent’s batting average is the highest of the group. Webb’s numbers are good, but they show that he was not nearly as dominant as his three opponents.
One other factor to consider is Webb’s offense. Of his 34 starts, Webb had five no decisions, and of his five no decisions, Webb left the game trailing in four of them. In those four games, the Diamondback offense had to overcome a deficit that Webb created.
Chances Webb Will Win
Many experts agree that Webb has the inside track on the Cy Young Award. The fact that he led the NL in wins and was the only NL pitcher to reach the 20-win mark works heavily in his favor. The experts believe that the voters will look at his win total and vote solely on that statistic. Though Webb may be considered the favorite, his road to the Cy Young Award will not be easy. Each of the other three candidates has a strong argument for the award as well.
Up Next
In part two of this series, Brewers’ ace CC Sabathia will have his season reviewed and his Cy Young chances examined.
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