Zack Wheeler should’ve been the 2021 NL Cy Young
Zack Wheeler deserved better this season, from his team, the league, the media.
He was an All-Star, a Cy Young nominee, and led the National League and all of MLB in numerous categories, and it still feels like his work didn’t get the respect it deserved this year. He should’ve been the NL starting pitcher for the All-Star Game, and the honor went to Max Scherzer instead, because the Dodgers wanted to woo him. Wheeler didn’t get to make his first All-Star appearance until there were two outs in the ninth.
Then there’s his overall season stat line. The 31-year-old led MLB in complete games (3), shutouts (2), innings pitched (213 1/3), and batters faced (849). He led the NL with 247 strikeouts and was leading all MLB pitchers right until the end of the season, when 2021 AL Cy Young Robbie Ray overtook him by a single strikeout.
Wheeler posted a career-best 2.78 ERA over 32 starts, tied for the most he’s made in any season in his seven-year career. He also reached both the 200-inning mark and the 200-strikeout mark faster than any pitcher in baseball this year. If he hadn’t struggled in August, he’d absolutely be the one winning the Cy Young on Wednesday night instead of Corbin Burnes, whom Wheeler outdid in numerous metrics.
In fact, it seems like Burnes’ win is largely based on his ERA, which is unfair given the larger context of his season. Burnes was MLB’s ERA leader with a 2.43, but he only made 28 starts, totaling 167 innings of work. He had zero complete games or shutouts while Wheeler led MLB in both categories. Burnes gave up fewer hits and runs than most of his competition, but again, in large part because he pitched in fewer starts.
Burnes also had the advantage of being followed by one of the best bullpens in baseball this season, while Wheeler had many of his starts ruined by one of the worst. The Brewers bullpen boasts Devin Williams and Josh Hader, while the Phillies bullpen tied the MLB single-season record for blown saves.
Another hilarious stat? Wheeler allowed 16 home runs this season, tied for fourth-fewest among qualified starters; Ray gave up 33, the third-most among qualified starters. Burnes only gave up seven, but would that be the case if he’d started as many games as Wheeler and Ray?
At the end of the day, Burnes and Wheeler were both amazing. But Burnes was an ERA leader and Wheeler should’ve been Cy Young.