Red Sox: Nathan Eovaldi has closed the Cy Young Award gap

Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi is making a Cy Young Award run

Awards are important to players and fans, and the Red Sox may have one in righty Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi is in the mix for the coveted American League Cy Young Award, and for the worshipers of WAR, the hard thrower is now number one in the AL with a 5.6 fWAR.

On Sunday, Eovaldi and the main competitor Gerrit Cole both took the hill. Cole, leading the league with 15 wins, got crushed by the Cleveland Indians, allowing seven earned runs. Before that meltdown, Cole was tops in WAR, with Eovaldi slightly behind. Now Cole is slightly behind with a 5.3 fWAR.

Eovaldi has mastered the art of the no-decision this season, and Sunday was typical. Eovaldi left with a lead which the bullpen gave up. He leads the league with 30 starts yet has a 10-8 record to show for his effort. That, however, is mitigated by the team record of 18-12 in Eovaldi’s starts. And Cole? Cole’s Yankees are 15-13 in Cole’s 28 starts.

Cole and Eovaldi are similarly quite compatible, especially in the free pass department. I view walks about as much as an IRS audit, and both check in rather well. Cole tops the league with a 6.08 K/BB rate. Cole issued a 5.6 BB% and Eovaldi at a miserly 4.4 BB%; conversely, if you want whiffs, both supply that in abundance with Cole at 34.2 K% and Eovaldi at 26 K%.

Baseball has refined the earned run standard over the years as now FIP (Fielding Independent of Pitching) is considered an equal among equals. Both excel with Cole’s 3.03 ERA/ 2.75 FIP matched against Eovaldi’s 3.58/2.72. Eovaldi’s FIP is league-best.

Not to be dismissed are other contenders of note. Chicago’s Carlos Rodon (4.6 fWAR), Toronto’s star lefty Robbie Ray (4.3 fWAR), and a slightly longer shot with Chicago’s Lance Lynn (4.0 fWAR). There is a potential for a split vote that could have any of the five mentioned slide into the award.

The next two starts could be a determining factor. The alignment is in place for Cole and Eovaldi to face off at Fenway Park later this week. A dynamic start by either could shuffle the deck. That start could come down to that start as a clincher for either.

League standing is also of utmost consideration. Both the Yankees and Red Sox are vying for a coveted playoff spot, and the Blue Jays and Ray are also in the mix. Winning is important in any consideration and losing a playoff slot could certainly impact voting.

Winning or losing the award will certainly not diminish the contribution of All-Star Eovaldi. With Chris Sale absent for the bulk of the season, Eovaldi has stepped up for true ace status.