The Year of the Beard is upon us.
Cubs righty Jake Arrieta was announced on Wednesday as the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner, with Astros southpaw Dallas Keuchel taking home the American League award.
Arrieta went 22-6 in 2015 with a 1.77 ERA, a 2.35 FIP, and 236 strikeouts. He also led the league with 4 complete games and 3 shutouts (including a no-hitter in August) and beat out fellow finalists Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the honors. Arrieta served as the ace for a Cubs team that made it to the NLCS this year for the first time in over a decade.
Keuchel, meanwhile, posted a 20-8 record on the season with a 2.48 ERA, a 2.91 FIP, and 216 strikeouts. Kid Keuchy started the 2015 All-Star Game for the AL and helped lead the Astros to a surprise playoff berth. Blue Jays righty David Price finished second in the voting.
While Keuchel’s victory does not come as much of a surprise (no word on if he yelled at the voters who cast their ballots for Price to sit down), Greinke was widely expected to win the NL Award. Nevertheless, with Arrieta’s unreal second half of the season, it’s hard to argue against the decision.
With Arrieta just 29 years old and Keuchel just 27 years old himself, I, for one, welcome our new bearded pitching overlords.
H/T ESPN
*Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference*
