Houston Astros: Three reasons why Justin Verlander should win the Cy-Young
By T.A. Mock
The Houston Astros 2018 regular season is officially over. They had an absolutely historic season and even better than last year even though it was more painful at times. The Astros set a franchise record for wins with 103 on the season to only 59 losses.
Unfortunately, they lost the final regular season game of the year but they swept a doubleheader on the penultimate day of the season. Several Astros had the best year of their careers while others struggled more than they have in years past.
The Houston Astros had three starting pitchers that had the best year of their respective careers. Those guys being Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Charlie Morton. Earlier in the season, these three all had a pretty good case for the Cy Young.
Must Read. 103 wins is done, now, what's next?. light
Morton had the best year of his career in nearly every category. He won 15 games, started 29 games, pitched 167 innings, struck out 201 batters, and had a 1.17 WHIP. All of those marks were career bests. Morton also had the best winning percentage in the MLB.
Cole once peaked on 2015 with a fourth-place Cy Young finish but hasn’t been able to fully recapture that form. However, he had a great year as well, his best since 2015. He did not set nearly as many career highs as Morton did but he did set a few. He blew past his previous strikeout total, punching out 276 batters or 12.4 per nine innings.
However, the season Verlander had var eclipsed both of those guys and everyone else in the league. So, let’s take a look at three of the biggest reasons why Verlander should take home his second Cy Young trophy, something, by the way, I predicted before the season began.