Chris Carpenter Is the National League Cy Young, Hands Down

After examining the seasons of the National League's top Cy Young candidates, one should have no qualms about granting the prestigious accolade to St. Louis' Chris Carpenter.

The tall, hard-throwing righty has never, including his Cy Young season in '05, been so dominant. Carpenter's 2.34 ERA leads the National League and his WHIP is a ludicrous 1.007.

Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and teammate Adam Wainwright are the only other qualified candidates for the award. Each pitcher must be compared to Carpenter in order to comprehend why the selection should be so painless.

To make the process easier, Cain and Lincecum should first be compared to each other. The two teammates possess nearly identical statistics across the board. However, Lincecum has close to 100 more strikeouts and an ERA 24 points higher. If the decision came down to the two Giants for Cy Young, Lincecum would win easily.

Adios, Cain.

Every Tim Lincecum fan believes that The Freak would have a better record on any other team because the Giants' 4.04 runs per game is among the worst in MLB.

I was a firm advocate of that statement until I calculated how many runs the Giants score when Lincecum takes the mound. In 30 Lincecum starts, the Giants have produced an average of 4.57 runs per game, which is 0.14 runs better than the NL average of 4.43 rpg.

Although Carpenter is teammates with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday, he only receives 4.27 rpg. In four less starts and with 0.3 less rpg than Lincecum, Carpenter is 16-4; The Freak is 14-5.

Runs per game and record are not the only categories that should be considered, obviously. Carpenter's 6.79 K/9 seem meager compared to Lincecum's imposing 10.53 K/9. However, the "K" is Lincecum's sole advantage. Carpenter's league-leading ERA is 13 points better and his WHIP is slightly lower.

Lincecum, hit the showers.

The final candidate, Wainwright, is having the year of his life, but a sharper scrutiny of his season will confirm that he is not nearly as deserving of the Cy Young as is his teammate.

Like Lincecum, the "K" is Wainwright's only advantage over the 2005 Cy Young. However, unlike Lincecum, Wainwright posts a K/9 ratio (7.77) that is only slightly better than Carpenter's. Wainwright's ERA is 25 points worse than his teammate's and his 1.212 WHIP can't be compared.

Wainwright's 18-8 record is deceiving not only because he has started five more games, but also because the Cardinals average 5.42 rpg when he starts. That's a whole run difference! Wainwright has won four games in which he surrendered four or more runs. Carpenter is 1-2 in games in which he allowed four or more runs.

Close, but no cigar, Mr. Wainwright.

Carpenter is clearly the best pitcher in the NL and, barring any ridiculously awful finish, should win Cy Young.