Could
Kershaw Win Another Cy Young AND MVP?
When
Clayton Kershaw started the year with some nagging injuries, there were some
who were worried about how his 2014 season would play out. People in fantasy baseball decided to
wait a little while longer to draft him, and all of a sudden the playoff hopes
of the Los Angeles Dodgers were a little bit up in the air. However, since
returning to the rotation, he has been as dominant as ever. He has been so
dominant, there is actually a decent chance of him winning both the Cy Young
Award and MVP in the National League in 2014.
Truth
be told, it has not been a particularly great year for individuals in the
National League so far. There seems to be 3 other legitimate candidates out
there to compete with Kershaw, and they all have their flaws. Giancarlo Stanton
is as good of a hitter as you can find, but he is playing for a team that is
not in contention for the playoffs. Andrew McCutchen has missed playing time
recently due to injury, and Jonathan Lucroy at the end of the day is a catcher
with somewhat limited offensive production. That leaves Kershaw, the best
pitcher by far on the best team in the National League at this point in time.
Consistency
has always been huge for Kershaw, and 2014 is certainly not an exception. In
fact, he is somehow lowering his ERA after having a 1.83 in 2013. He is also at
16 wins already this year, and there is a legitimate chance he gets to 20 wins
for the 2nd time in his career. However, most rewarding fact for him is that he
is going to have a chance to win his 1st ever World Series title thanks to
being on a solid team.
When
it comes to being the most valuable player in the National League, there are
going to be plenty of voters who are hesitant to give it to someone who only
plays in 20% of their team’s games. Justin Verlander pulled it off in the
American League in 2011, but it has not been done in the National League since
Bob Gibson in 1968. With a strong September, Kershaw could once again stand out
amongst his peers.
