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New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Top five American League Cy Young Award candidates

By John Gidley | Last updated 8/30/23

The 2023 Major League Baseball season is heading into the home stretch. Who will take home the hardware for the American League Cy Young Award, given annually to the best pitcher in the league? Here are the five top contenders in inverse order. (Yardbarker's top NL Cy Young candidates are here.)

5. George Kirby | Seattle Mariners, RHP

KEY STAT: 14 walks, fewest of any starting pitcher in MLB (minimum 25 starts)

In just his second major league season, Kirby continues to show excellent command of the strike zone. According to Stathead from Baseball Reference, he has the second-fewest walks of any starting pitcher in the live ball era (since 1920, minimum 25 starts). In 130 innings last season, he had only 22 walks. Kirby is 10-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 142 strikeouts for the surging Mariners, who have more than one entry on this list.

Kirby Fully Loaded. ⛽ pic.twitter.com/BqgeP9uu7g
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2023

4. Zach Eflin | Tampa Bay Rays, RHP

KEY STAT: 13 wins, tied for most in American League

The former Philadelphia Phillies starter got the normally stingy Rays to open their wallets this past offseason. Eflin's three-year, $40 million contract marks the most the Rays have spent on a free agent. Eflin (13-8) has rewarded them by leading the American League in wins and compiling 147 strikeouts and just 20 walks. With Shane McClanahan out for the foreseeable future, Eflin is the new ace for a Tampa Bay team likely to make the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.

Zach Eflin's sweeper is disgusting.

Can't imagine what that looks like from the hitters perspective. pic.twitter.com/fZF0HtQ3lt
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) August 26, 2023

3. Kevin Gausman | Toronto Blue Jays, RHP

KEY STAT: 202 strikeouts, most in American League

Gausman is the only pitcher in the major leagues to strike out 200 batters in each of the past three seasons. He's 10-8 with a 3.30 ERA for a Toronto team that has more than enough talent to reach the postseason but that finds itself 3.5 games out of the third wild-card spot in the American League.

2. Luis Castillo | Seattle Mariners, RHP

KEY STAT: 3.01 ERA, second lowest in American League

In 2021 with Cincinnati, Castillo (11-7) led the major leagues with 16 losses and 75 walks. It's been smooth sailing for him since the Reds traded him to Seattle at the deadline last year. His 27 starts lead the major leagues, and he has struck out 181 batters to just 38 walks. If either Castillo or Kirby win the American League Cy Young Award, they'll join Hall of Famer Randy Johnson and potential Hall of Famer Felix Hernandez as the only Mariners to earn the honor.

1. Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees, RHP

KEY STAT: 168 innings pitched, most in American League

Believe it or not, it has been 22 years since a Yankee won the Cy Young Award (Roger Clemens in 2001). Equally surprising is the fact that Cole, one of the best pitchers in baseball over his 11 seasons, is looking for his first Cy Young after five top-five finishes. Cole is one of the few bright spots in a disastrous season for New York. With an 11-4 record, 181 strikeouts and a league-leading 2.95 ERA, it's about time he gets his first Cy Young.