NL Cy Young Race: How RA Dickey Is Emerging as a Favorite

The National League has always had a reputation as a prominent pitchers' league, and this year is proving to be no different.  In a league that boasts an incredible eight former Cy Young award winners, the pitching might be better than ever.  Through slightly over 60 games, an astonishing 17 pitchers have an ERA below 3.00 and 11 pitchers have 7 or more wins.

And somehow, despite never even being an All-Star, a 37-year-old knuckle-baller named RA Dickey has found himself at the top of the list of Cy Young candidates. 

Statistically, he leads the league in wins with 9, is eighth in ERA with a 2.44, and is seventh in strikeouts despite not having any pitch that can reach over 85 miles per hour.

His numbers speak for themselves, but what makes RA the true favorite to win the NL Cy Young is what he does for his team.  Despite their status as a major underdog, the Mets boast a 32-29 record and are only 2 games back of a Wild Card spot. However, if Dickey were a 5-5 pitcher (which is very respectable for the competitive division he pitches in), the Mets would be 2 games under .500.

Although it can be argued that Johan Santana is the ace of the Mets' staff because of his two Cy Young awards and no-hitter this season, Dickey has been the face of consistency while Santana has either been magical or dreadful. In his 12 starts thus far, Dickey has gone 6 or more innings in all but one, and 11 of the 12 have been statistically considered a quality start.

Even more impressive is the current hot streak Dickey is on.  Over his last four starts, Dickey has gone 4-0, allowing only one earned run and riding a 24.2 shutout innings streak. 

He may not be flashy, throw hard or live in the media spotlight, but RA Dickey is quietly putting himself into prime contention to win the Cy Young. At 37 years old and playing for the underdog Mets, a feelgood story like Dickey's is exactly what baseball fans love.