[Wang] Wang among AL's elite hurlers

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Wang among AL's elite hurlers
Sophomore deserves consideration for Cy Young Award
By Glenn Giangrande / Special to YESNetwork.com




As famous radio personality Don Imus might ask: A) Roy Halladay. B) Johan
Santana. C) Justin Verlander. D) Chien-Ming Wang. Which doesn't belong and
why?

Trick question. All four are legitimate candidates for the 2006 Cy Young
Award.

At this time last season, Wang was in the midst of a two-month absence caused
by inflammation and a strain in his throwing shoulder. He delivered a quality
start in his final outing before hitting the disabled list in '05, beating
Cliff Lee and his Cleveland Indians on a rainy Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
Just as quickly as Wang hit the scene after Kevin Brown had shoulder problems
of his own, the rookie right-hander was out of action. Fans wondered if he
could possibly be the same pitcher who went 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA before he was
shelved.

Not only did he return down the stretch to help the Yanks earn their eighth
straight A.L. East title, but this year, Wang has proven himself to be one of
the best pitchers in baseball — one worthy of the highest honor a hurler can
earn. With two of the game's most consistent starters and a phenom also in
the mix, it will be hard for Wang to become the first home-grown Yankee to
win the award since his pitching coach, Ron Guidry, did so back in 1978.
Still, it is impossible to dismiss Wang. He has a
legitimate shot in this race.

Entering his start against the Tigers on Tuesday, Wang is one of only five
pitchers in the majors with at least 15 wins — Santana, Halladay and
Verlander are also in that group. If Wang can stay healthy as he establishes
his career high in innings pitched, he should get at least five starts in
September, giving him a realistic chance at 20 or more victories. That number
would dramatically increase his chances of taking home the Cy Young Award.


Dating back to 1967, when MLB began giving out one award in each league as
opposed to one for all of baseball, there have only been three occurances in
which the honor went to a starter who did not record 20 wins — Pete
Vuckovich in 1982, Roger Clemens in 1991, and Pedro Martinez in 2000.
Vukovich posted a pair of eight-game win streaks and led Milwaukee to the
American League pennant that year, while the ERA and strikeout totals posted
by Clemens and Pedro were just too daunting to be overlooked. All
three had a dominance working in their favor that Wang does not, but last
season, voters demonstrated that wins count. They gave the award to the
Angels' Bartolo Colón, who led the A.L. with 21 wins. However, his 3.48 ERA
ranked eighth, and it was not even one of the two best marks on his own
team — Jarrod Washburn (3.20) and John Lackey (3.44) both posted better
marks. Like Vuckovich, Colón probably earned style points because he won 21
games for a team that made the postseason.

Among the four top candidates this year, only Santana is having the kind of
impact Wang is. Verlander has the most losses of the bunch, and his team has
been playing so well all season that it's not hard to imagine the Tigers
being where they are even without Verlander. The 23-year-old could also be
overshadowed by Detroit's bullpen, which owns the second best ERA in the
baseball. As great as Halladay is, his team is on its way to another October
vacation. Santana was a huge part of the run that got
Minnesota back into playoff contention, similar to how Wang has consistently
given the Yankee relievers rest so that they can stay fresh for days in which
they are absolutely needed. Wang has worked seven innings or more in 15 of 28
starts and thrown two complete games, far exceeding expectations. That kind
of pitching might be par for the course for Santana, a former Cy Young winner
expected to win every time he starts, but Wang has shown uncommon poise for a
sophomore — especially one plying his
trade on the biggest stage in all of sports.

Wang is not nearly as overpowering as his competition — a Pettitte-like 190
hits allowed in 179 1/3 innings pitched, and just 59 strikeouts and 47 walks
allowed — but there is no one better at forcing groundball outs. Although
that may not be the most exciting facet of pitching, voters could be swayed
by the type of pitcher who can keep opponents in check without racking up the
Ks. Thanks to a biting sinker, no hurler in the game has induced more ground
outs than Wang. His 2.72-to-1
groundball-to-flyball is far and away the best in the A.L, the superior
offensive league. Grounders have become so much of a story with Wang that his
production in those categories must be considered; those numbers should be
viewed comparably to the strikeout numbers put up by the other pitchers.


No matter what kind of numbers that Santana, Halladay, or Verlander put up
over the final weeks of the season, circumstances surrounding the Yankees
could elevate Wang's Cy Young credentials. If back-of-the-rotation starters
continue to falter, his performances will become more meaningful. If Mike
Mussina's groin continues to bark, he will be viewed as the starter who needs
to carry the load in his place. Halladay and Santana are a pair of aces.
Verlander was projected as ace material. Through no fault
of his own, Wang barely made it out of spring training as the No. 3 starter
in a rotation that boasts one first ballot Hall of Famer and one of the best
pitchers of the last 15 years.

Five months later, he has proven that he belongs among the A.L's elite.

Wang doesn't need a Cy Young Award to prove that, but he certainly deserves one.


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