Has Shane Bieber really entered the AL Cy Young race?

Has Shane Bieber really entered the AL Cy Young race?

Maybe no one was hit harder on the Cleveland Guardians by the shortened spring training than Shane Bieber. The Guardians ace and former AL Cy Young Winner had a rough and dogged start to his season. Things have looked better for Bieber but he still hasn’t found that dominant form he had in 2019 or 2020.

That said, while he’s not single-handily roasting entire lineups, his control has returned even if his strikeouts are down from years past.

According to Ballys Sports Cleveland, in Bieber’s last nine starts he’s 6-2, pitching 61.2 innings of baseball, keeping a 1.75 ERA, 68 strikeouts, and just nine walks to his name. For the season he’s 10-8, with a 2.91 ERA and 178 strikeouts, his most since 2019.

Though 2020 saw him hit 122 strikeouts in just 77 innings, so a much higher rate of strikeouts.

All of this has people wondering, the Guardians themselves if Beiber should be in contention for the AL Cy Young award for 2022.

Shane Bieber is not a Cy Young candidate in 2022

As of right now, Bieber is ninth in odds to win the AL Cy Young according to ESPN, with Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, and Dylan Cease numbers one, two, and three respectively. Verlander is on another level, and whether that’s because his control is that good, or he’s got some really good peripherals to help him, his stats have him as the obvious favorite.

That said, Bieber is looking like he could finish in the Top 5 at this rate. His numbers are as good as Valdez’s and Cease isn’t going to win anything when he ends up being third in the division. So considering Bieber has the solo performances and the team performances to his credit, it seems very possible that Bieber finishes in the Top 5 in the Cy Young voting.

His slow start though will keep him from winning the award, however.