As the 2009 All-Star game comes near, it's hard to tell what the future holds. We have seen some outstanding displays of pitching throughout 2009, but which National League pitcher has the best chances of winning this years Cy Young award?

Starting off with the most obvious choice and last years winner, Tim Lincecum, is my vote. If the season ended today, his numbers look tough to compare with. The San Francisco Giant has 132 strikeouts, a 2.37 ERA and has an 80% winning percentage. Not to mention, Dan Haren is confirming Lincecum the candidate to start on the mound July 14th.

Lincecum's 8 total wins this season is not a high number, but looking at what he did in June gives me goose bumps. What other pitcher had a 1.48 ERA and 3 Complete Games in the month of June? It seems Lincecum is just getting 2009 started. The most frightening figure that does not get looked at enough is his low 4 homeruns allowed this season. When you pitch 114 innings you expect the long ball to get out of the park more then 4 times. Lincecum could be the first back-to-back Cy Young award winner since Randy Johnson in 2002.

Speaking of Randy Johnson and his past World Series franchise, The Arizona Diamondbacks have a new diamond gem pitcher who is also in the spotlight to win Arizona's sixth Cy Young award. Who thought Dan Haren would start the first half of baseball like he has? I expected him to have a good year, but not be known as one of the National League's elite.

Haren's best in the league 2.19 ERA and 0.81 WHIP makes batters want to call in sick when its time to face him. It's almost a automatic lower batting average coming up to the plate against Haren as he has only allowed 78 hits so far this year and expecting a walk will get in trouble, because that has only happened 15 times this season. The only other pitcher in the National league who has pitched over 100 innings and has allowed less then 80 hits this year is the Brew's Yovani Gallardo.

Of course I have to give credit to Yovani Gallardo as he gave up the leagues best 74 hits this season. The native from Mexico is helping Milwaukee stay on top in the Central with a surprising 2.75 ERA, 114 Ks, and 8 wins. We will see how he finishes the second half of the season since this has been his first full season as a household name starting pitcher in the MLB.

I can not forgot about the 3 proven pitchers who have not had stuff like the three above, but are consistently solid every year: Johan Santana, Matt Cain and Chad Billingsley. All of which have 9 wins, proven pitchers under 3.35 ERAs, and nothing higher then a 1.26 WHIP. The three of them additionally are all on teams who can make the playoffs this year.

We will find out who the best is this fall while the second half of the season kicks off. It is too soon to tell if Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vaquez can sneak in from Atlanta or Josh Johnson in Florida. No pitcher has reached the KO yet as the 2009 Cy Young winner.

Learn more about this author, William Amparano.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about 2009 National League Cy Young award candidates?
We want to hear your view. Write now!