The 2024 NL Cy Young race is the only major award race (MVP and Cy Young) still in contention at this point in the season. Bobby Witt does have a chance to snatch the AL MVP from Aaron Judge, but it will be Judge’s award. The same goes for Ohtani with the NL MVP. Tarik Skubal should also take home the AL Cy Young in a clear decision.
The NL Cy Young Award, on the other hand, is a closely fought race. Chris Sale, Paul Skenes, Zack Wheeler and Hunter Greene all have a good chance of taking home the award. Right now, Sale is the favorite, followed by Wheeler and then Skenes and Greene.
But all four pitchers were incredible, and if they can continue their winning streak, anyone can take home this award.
That is, if they stay healthy.
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Sale’s path to the Cy Young just became a little clearer. Cincinnati Reds star Hunter Greene has landed on the injured list with right elbow soreness. Greene has a history of elbow injuries, including a previous Tommy John surgery from which he has now recovered without any problems.
The #Red today placed on the 15-day injured list, effective August 14, RHP Hunter Greene (right elbow soreness). No corresponding changes to the 26-man roster are expected tonight.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) 17 August 2024
Landing on the IL isn’t ideal for Greene or the Reds, as Cincinnati looks to push for a postseason berth in the final months of the season. On a personal level, missing more than one start due to that IL time would effectively knock Greene out of the running for the Cy Young Award.
Greene is still a very talented starter who has a promising future ahead of him, and this won’t be the last season he competes for the award.
Sale, one of the best pitchers of this generation, has never won the award in his impressive career. Now his path to his first Cy Young Award is a little clearer and easier, as one of the top four candidates in the race has fallen behind.
There is also growing speculation that the Pittsburgh Pirates might consider cutting their star Paul Skenes due to the number of innings he has thrown. The Pirates are effectively out of the playoff race, so keeping Skenes out for too long is more risky than rewarding. If Skenes is cut, the race for the Cy Young Award would become a neck-and-neck race between the stars of the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.
