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This Year's Top Pitchers

© Greg Spira

The two best pitchers in the National League are on the same team. That team is the Arizona Diamondbacks, and they will probably win the National League Western Division title sometime this next week as a result of these two pitchers' efforts (along with Luis Gonzalez'). They have also both have been more effective than any pitcher in the American League. They are Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling.

Randy Johnson is just adding onto his already robust Hall of Fame credentials. He has already won 3 Cy Young awards, and despite his relatively advance age of 38, continues to pile on great season after great season. He will lead the majors this year in ERA. So far in 2001, he has allowed the opposition a batting average of only .204, an on-base percentage of .276 and a slugging average of .310 - the best numbers overall of his career. 26 of his 33 starts have been quality starts. He has already struck out 366 batters, a career high, and still has a small chance at the all-time season strikeout record.

Curt Schilling has pitched almost as well as Johnson in 2001. In what has probably been the best season of his career (though his 1992 is fairly comparable), Schilling right now has a 2.97 ERA, the third lowest in the majors. He has pitched 248.2 innings, the highest total in the majors. He has allowed only 228 hits and 39 walks in those innings, while striking out 285. The only real weakness in his pitching line is that he's allowed 27 home runs (Johnson has allowed 19). 26 of Schilling's starts have been quality starts. Schilling's season is deserving of a Cy Young - but Johnson's is more deserving, and I believe that Johnson should and will win the NL Cy Young Award for 2001.

No other National League pitchers has pitched at Johnson or Schilling's level, but a few deserve honorable mention. At the top of the list is Darryl Kile, who is second in the league in ERA at 2.96. The rest of the best include Javier Vasquez, Matt Morris, Greg Maddux, Chan Ho Park, John Burkett, Wade Miller, and Tom Glavine.

There was no one dominating pitching year in the American League. Roger Clemens has gotten a lot of attention, and he has been one of the best pitchers in the league this season, but his run support has been the primary reason the 2001 season of this future Hall-of-Famer has gotten the attention it has. Freddy Garcia has perhaps the best qualifications for the AL Cy Young award this year, leading the league in both ERA (3.02) and innings pitched (232.2) with one week to play. Joe Mays is another excellent candidate; he is currently second in the league in both innings pitched and ERA and pitches his home games in a park that is much worse for pitchers than Garcia's Safeco. Mike Mussina, who has more innings pitched and a better ERA than his teammate Clemens, also is a solid candidate. The rest of the good candidates include Clemens, the Athletics trio of Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito, the White Sox' Mark Buehrle, and Garcia's teammate Jamie Moyer. Clemens will probably win the BBWAA Cy Young, but my pick would probably be Joe Mays.