The Race For The Cy Young: Early Edition

Pitching, among others things, has been one of the main story lines driving the MLB this 2010 season. The resurgence of pitching in the Majors has brought to light many young, hard-throwing arms as well as some savvy veterans. From Ubaldo Jimenez to Livan Hernandez, countless pitchers from a variety of backgrounds have proven their worth, and have all started their run at winning the illustrious Cy Young Awards.

Phil Hughes

After finally showing signs of being the dominant pitcher that was expected in 2009, Hughes headed into Spring Training in a fight for the 5th and last pitching slot with Joba Chamberlain. Though posting a horrid 0-4 record in the Grapefruit league, Hughes got the job, and from then on, became the best pitcher on the Yankees rotation. Through 6 starts this season, Hughes has put together an impressive 5-0 Record along with 1.38 ERA. And to add to that, he is one of 5 Pitchers in the AL to have a WHIP under 1.00, and has struck out 39 batters in just 39.0 Innings. At the tender age of 23, the Yankees have put few, if any restraints on this kid, and so far, he's proven to the world that he can be the pitcher that was originally expected.

Liván Hernández

This 35-Year Old Veteran began the year down in the minors, but as Chein-Ming Wang and Jason Marquis were sent to the Disabled List, Livan was called up, and has defied all odds to be where he is today. The veteran has been on 9 teams through his 15-year career, but has yet to begin a season the way he began this one. With an 85 mph fastball leading the way, Hernandez has somehow become one of the NL's best pitchers, on one of the MLB's worst pitching teams. Winning in 5 of Livan's 7 Starts, the lowly Nationals have somehow put themselves in 2nd Place in the NL East, a far cry from the last seed that was expected from them. 

Ubaldo Jimenez

Ubaldo came into the year off a stellar, yet unnoticed season. And to gain recognition, he began by throwing the first Rockies no-hitter...ever. Jimenez then became the first pitcher in the Majors to reach 7 wins, and in only 8 starts. Like Hughes, Jimenez also has a WHIP under 1.00, and currently leads the league with a 1.12 ERA. Hitters have simply been unable to hit Jimenez's pitches; the combination of both speed and movement on his near 100 mph fastball is just unfathomable. Even though the Rockies have gotten so much from Jimenez, they are still 4th in their division and don't seem to have the offense to make a move. 

Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay was one of the most talked about topics in baseball during both the season and offseason; and as of now, has remained in the spotlight after finding a new home with the Phillies. He currently has 1.59 ERA and like many other pitchers, has found the NL to be more than welcoming. Much of his success can be credited to the Phillies organization, but the development of a split finger change-up has added a new weapon to his already loaded arsenal, and has kept hitters guessing for the majority of this short season. With the league's greatest offense backing him up, and all the talent in the world, Doc is sure to be in the running during season's end.

Barry Zito

After signing a whopping 7-year, $126M Contract in 2007, Zito went down as arguably the worst investment in MLB History; but all of that has changed this year. With the overwhelming pressure off his shoulders and a team determined to get to the post-season, Zito has once again established himself as one of the league's most feared pitchers. While holding a 6-1 record along with a 2.15 ERA, Zito has passed almost all expectations set on him this offseason. 

David Price

Both David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays have shocked the MLB. There were several rumors circling around that Tampa Bay would trade some of their best expiring contracts, Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, if they did not start the season off well. If anything, the Rays believed that their offense would lead them to the promise land, but so far, it has gone the other way. This pitching staff, led by David Price, has managed to post an MLB leading 2.81 ERA and to go along with that, give their team the best record in the Majors. David Price currently holds a 6-1 record to go with an AL-best 1.81 ERA. No one, not even Price, could have expected such a start for a player who is just on the brink of starting their career.

Tim Lincecum

You'd be hard pressed to find a Cy Young list without having the name Tim Lincecum come up. "The Freak", as they say, has been by far the best pitcher in baseball for the last 2 seasons, and is making an impressive run at a 3rd consecutive NL Cy Young Award. As always, he's leading the league in strikeouts, and has yet to lose a game this year. Although he's coming off the worst start of of this short season, allowing 5 ER in 5.0 IP, he still maintains a 2.35 ERA and a 5-0 record. 

Honorable Mention(No Specific Order): Jamie Garcia, STL(4-2, 1.28 ERA), Ricky Romero TOR(4-1, 2.71 ERA),  Josh Johnson FLA(4-1, 2.80 ERA), Andy Pettite NYY(5-1, 2.68 ERA), Jered Weaver LAA(4-2, 3.40 ERA) Adam Wainwright STL(6-2, 2.49 ERA), Matt Garza TB(5-2, 3.37 ERA), CC Sabathia NYY(4-2, 3.43 ERA)