The Craziest Cy Young Race in MLB History 

I still remember this race like it was yesterday. I was too young to understand the deeper statistics more important for a CY, but still could tell how legendary their seasons were that year.

Peak Kershaw was absolutely nuts. From 2011-2017, he AVERAGED 207 IP and a 179 ERA+ per season. That was his AVERAGE season over that stretch! And somehow he still put up a 184 in 2022 (though in 126 IP, not 200)

I remember watching Jake Arrieta's no hitter in 2015 and it instantly making me fall in love with baseball as a kid.

Its crazy how stacked the NL Cy Young race that year, the AL Cy Young winner that year, Dallas Keuchel, probably wouldn't haven finished 5th in voting if the Astros were still in the NL.

As a dodger fan I always felt Zack deserve the award that year. Having Kershaw so dominate at the time probably took votes from him. He should’ve had 1 Cy Young during his tenure

From the beginning of the season to the end, Greinke was the most consistently excellent pitcher. But the way Arrieta pitched the last 2 months or so was just unreal. He deserved the award. And I say that as a lifelong Dodger fan.

I've always felt Greinke should've won. Sucks that he got robbed of being one of the few pitchers to win a cy young in both leagues.

This was one of my favourite years of baseball.

still remember that year. arrieta went on an incredible streak the second half, and was warranted of some top MVP votes..that's how good he was

Jolly you have single handedly got me interested in baseball again.

As a lifelong Zack Greinke devotee, reading the title of this video made me angry in a way I haven’t felt in years.

Jake also had a stellar game in the NLWCG against the pirates in 2015

2015 was the first year I started playing fantasy baseball and I remember greinke falling to the 6th round of the draft. I had just turned 13 and I could finally stay up to watch the west coast games. on top of that I'm a mets fan. that year was absolute magic

I remember as a like 12 year old watch every Kershaw and greinkie start, I went to a Fourth of July game in the middle of greinkie’s scoreless streak, I remember where I was when he lost it. I remember the sorrow of the no hitter I remember Kershaw hitting 300 strikeouts. Shit was awesome

What a race man! Way to tell the story too! I had no idea who won it throughout and I love the way you presented the story.

Considering where Arrieta's stats were before his historic stretch compared to Grienke and Kershaw, it seemed impossible to win Cy Young, and it was gonna take unfathomable proficiency and consistency to be in their conversation. The fact the Cubs went 13-0 and he didn't give up more than one run in any start, having a sub 1 ERA and pulling his season ERA down over a whole point is just insanely remarkable. The only thing more remarkable was that he was so dominant that he was able to beat out TWO guys with 2.13 and 1.66 ERA's, sub .90 whips, well over 200 innings pitched, and 25+ wins (Kershaw having 300 strikeouts too) for the CY Young award. I honestly forgot how dominant he was because looking back at that season for Grienke and Kershaw I always wondered how on Earth one of them didn't win the award. Arrieta was nearly perfect for an entire half of a season, playing one of the best stretches of play in MLB history. Dominance like that is nearly impossible to replicate, even for the game's all time best. Bravo, you love to see it, it makes baseball so interesting and entertaining to watch

I’m really liking the thumbnail and the background music so far. this is going to be good video I can tell.

I was rooting for jake arrieta and it was the wildest ride of my life. I’ve been waiting for a video like this ever since. Thank you jolly olive!

Anyone think Jon Lester was robbed of the nl cy young in 2016? He went 19-5 with a 2.44. Scherzer won with a 20-7 record and a 2.96 ERA. He pitched more innings and k'd more hitters, but he allowed over .6/runs per start.

I remember this year and the races fondly and the playoffs that year were incredibly memorable and some of the best

That year was incredible. That race reminded me of the batting title race of 1984 between Winfield and Mattingly. EDIT: would LOVE to see you do a video on Orel Hershiser's '88 season - possibly the greatest season of any pitcher ever. He won the World Series too. and yes, I mean HE won the World Series that year - HIM. NOT the Dodgers, lol.

Great video! Earned my sub! Can’t wait to binge watch this channel.

I remember talking about this race all year with a teacher at school bc he was a massive fan and was always game to talk about baseball

I think the Cy young should have gone to Greinkei.

I still think this should have been Greinke's, I think if he had Cy Young's in both NL and AL he would have a really interesting HoF case

Incredible video ! Well edited and presented . You put the Jolly Olive in my martini today .

You drop some of my fav baseball commentaries Jolly, thank you for some Dodgers content 🙏🏼

And despite all their achievements and dominance, Daniel Murphy took all three of these pitchers deep in the 2015 playoffs. It's less an indictment of them than it is a showcase of how Murphy went completely supernova in that postseason

I was at Dodger stadium for Jake's 2015 no-no and it was definitely one of the top 5 games I've ever seen

I remember having Greinke, Arrieta, deGrom, Scherzer, Shelby Miller, and Jose Fernandez in fantasy baseball that season. No idea how I managed to pull that off in a 12 team league but it was certainly a fun year for the squad.

I watched all three of the top 3 national league pitcher live more in 2015. Dodger stadium is my home base and saw Greinke pitch 4 times Kershaw 2 and Jake I luckily was at wrigley visiting cousins to see him take a no no deep against the south side Sox. I believe the only run scored that day was a homer by jake. My point is. Zack Greinke was a cut above everyone that year. I was at the game where Kershaw got his 300 strikeout, however Greinke’s scoreless inning streak (all 3 longest scoreless innings streaks in the NL are right handed Dodgers) was incredible to follow and watch in person. I believe Greinke should’ve taken home the award. But hey, I know he doesn’t care much for them and has won it in the past. Just wish I could see such a legendary season acknowledged.

Jolly my friend, thank you for another great video!

Great vid, as usual. Way to be JO 🙌🏻

thanks for the video! really cool stuff.

Seriously great vid

Never knew it was that close. Arrieta did have arguably the best 2-3 months pitching ever tho

Great video as always Jolly! LETS GO METS

4:47 can we appreciate that kersh threw 95 on his 116th pitch of the outing?

This talks to my soul... Thanks

Keep these great vids up 💯

I love this video! Glad it was made so it doesn’t get lost in history. From time to time, I go back and marvel at the stats from that season. I think they got the Cy Young wrong! 😑

Great video 👏🏽

Arrieta’s run that’s year was magical. It was exactly what the cubs needed to get the momentum to win a World Series. Will never forget that no hitter against Cincy especially because my arrieta shirsey arrived the same day.

The clip of the dude spraying champagne on him and the kid is wild LMAO

Man, Arrieta had one hell of a downfall. The Cy Young, a WS ring and then absolute detonation of his control and speed.

I think Arrieta's more innings pitched and K's wasn't quite enough to put him over Grienke until that no-hitter against one the best NL teams at their park, oh and also Grienke's team. What a flex. He also had a sub 1 era the 2nd half of the season, arguably the best stretch in MLB history, or at least on Bob Gibson's level. But Im a bit biased, as a cubs fan. So who knows...

Can you put together a video about the 2012 AL MVP race? Triple crown (old school) vs advanced analytics (new school)

kershaw and greinke deserved it more than jake. Still can’t deny his 2nd half, probably the greatest oat

That was a frustrating year for us Dodger fans. With these historic pitchers firing on all cylinders we still didn't even get passed the NLDS. It was a huge thud at the end and kinda erased the memory of how good Kershaw and Grienke were that year.

Was super fun to be a Dodgers fan during the Kershaw-Greinke era. A duo as scary as Halladay and Cliff Lee

As a Dodgers fan, I remember this one...and it still stings a little.

Finally someone makes a video on this race 😅

Great video 👌

Greinke signed a 6 year 206 million dollar deal with the dodgers, not 3 years 70 million. He took a player option and then signed with the Dbacks. Just a nitpick but I feel thats an important distinction.

I’m a simple man when Jolly posts I click and watch

As a Dodger fan those Kershaw shutouts against the Giants were so satisfying. He should have won five consecutive Cy Youngs from 2011-2015.

great filmmaking. Fantastic.

I wasn't watching baseball during that Cy Young Race, but personally I would have given it to Kershaw.

I'm still amazed how Greinke didn't win. Led NL in WAR, WIN%, ERA, WHIP, AND ERA+

I see you Jolly. Putting in a fly out by your fellow company man T-Plouffe

9:10 that is a crazy strike three call

This was so vindicating as a Cubs fan. After years of trading for guys who were washed up and past their prime, we finally got a guy just before he got really good, then shipped him out of town just before he crashed. (the less said about resigning him in 2021, the better)

The second thing I remember most about that season was how, despite having arguably the two best pitchers in the game, the Dodgers couldn’t get past the overachieving Mets that season.

2015 was a fun year and what a crazy Cy young this was

Arrieta had a lot external things working in his favor like his strong finish, older voters still over valuing wins, and with Kershaw and Grienke splitting the vote (happens way too often even though it shouldn’t) it doesn’t surprise me that he won

Have you ever done a video about Carlos Pena?

And what did my Pirates get for a great 98 win season in 2015? A one game playoff against Jake Arrieta.

One word consistency - Zack's ERA never went above 2 the whole year, 30 quality starts! add the scoreless inning streak and a GOLD GLOVE!!!! and 2 homeruns! Honesty I feel he didn't win because he wasn't sitting in live with the other nominees on the MLB channel when they announced the winner.

Holy crap, I forgot how many teams had legitimate aces back then.

When Roy Halladay won it it 2010 it was nuts too

Everyone saying Greinke got robbed is being dramatic. This wasn’t a Rick Porcello Cy Young. Jake had a .41 ERA down the stretch that lead a premature Cubs team to the NLCS in an insanely tough division. It’s arguably the best stretch of pitching in the last 20 years.

I’m actually in this video. The Arrieta start vrs the Nationals I’m sitting right behind home plate going nuts after each strikeout.

Martinez had a great 1997 but a quick look in voting and top 5 was strong: 5th place Darryl kile had 6 complete games, 4 shutouts, 19-7 record, 205 Ks, 2.57 ERA, and 1.18 WHIP and 156 ERA+. 2-4 were Maddux, Neagle and Schilling. The winner was clear but give me that top 5 over anyone

I'm a huge Dodger fan, and living in Los Angeles watched most of the games Kershaw and Greinke pitched. I saw Arrieta three or four times as well. The numbers put up that season by all three were just ridiculous and there was no right or wrong choice. I will say, and it's why most of the stat heads at the time believed he should have won, that Kershaw was by far and away the best pitcher that season. He so dominated hitters in a way Zack and Jake never approached. Ask any hitter which of the three they would have least liked to face that season. As he was most of that era, Kershaw was in a class by himself. That said, despite how much the hard core analytics guys want to reduce all such evaluations down to only what the player has full control over, it is a team game, and to some degree it all counts in award choices. Kershaw was the best pitcher, but that is not to say Jake (or Zack) didn't deserve the award.

IIRC, Greinke ended up with the best advanced stats for the whole season, but I have never seen anything like second half Arrieta that season.

Dude was showering Arrieta with champagne while he was holding his kid 🤣💀

Is there really a debate about if Greinke’s a hall of famer?

I remember that one time Jake pitched a no hitter and a fan went on the field to celebrate. The fan didn’t even get caught I think 😭

I don’t know. Aaron Harang was ELITE for my Phillies in 2015

1969 was crazier in my opinion. Well made video though. Thanks

Greinke had a historic year and if anything Kershaw ironically had the best full year of his career (more than 200IP). Actually, looking back and taking in all the stats, Kershaw had the clear-cut better year out of the three and that's not statistically disputable. As great as Arrieta was, I'm sure the Cubs narrative of making the playoffs helped his case a bit in the mind of the voters. And I will never understand how a guy has a couple of really good months and gets rewarded while others who are great all year long get pushed to the side. It happened in 2015 with Arrieta, it happened last year with Ray, and it almost happened with Flaherty in 2019.

2019 JV vs Cole up there

Greinke will still go to the hall, it might take a second or third run on the ballot, but he'll get in

Do Rafael Betancourt 2007

Zach should have won. His stats this season aren't human. To have these stats and not win a Cy Young is unbelievable

Arrietas last loss of the regular season was when the Cubs were no hit

Sadly Arrieta had nothing left after a couple good starts in 2017. Everyone talks about his harsh mechanics and I believe it. A slider with crazy movement above 90MPH is not sustainable

It's crazy how even (as in equal) these stats(11:23) are based on the rank and importance of each stat. Its almost looks scripted. For example grienke was last adding up his rankings for each BUT he was 1st on both of the arguably most important stats for a pitcher era and whip, which basically makes up for the lesser stats.

Do a video on vince Velasquez 16 strikeout game

Man I still remember listening to almost every game that year. I thought greinke was absolutely robbed. Still do

.41 ERA in 88 innings is NUTS

What a time to be a pitcher

Jake arietta cutter that season was way too nasty

Chris Sale is and always will my favorite!

I think Jake won simply due to throwing a no-hitter at dodger stadium and the second half ERA was just ridiculous and at that point hadn’t been seen in a long time. I think Greinke and Kershaw being on the same team hurt them voting wise (Similar to the Cubs in 16 with Lester and Hendricks I believe) Either way it was a fun year for baseball. I know I always paid attention when these 3 were pitching.

That wild card game is what separates Arietta from the rest of the two

12:30 Greinke is definitely a hof’er

Maybe its the homer in me but for the past 4 or 5 years I've had greinke as a lock for the hall. Ik baseball's is the hardest to get into but his career has been so long and so good that i couldnt possibly see him not getting in. Kersh is a lock for first ballot in my mind and grienke is at least in the top 5 of guys that have been around during his era. Based on my own logic if youre top 5 as a pitcher in almost any era then i think you should be a lock to make it in. especially with the length of career grienke has had. As for who should've won i think i'd give it to kersh. a sub .250 with 300k's is a frankly ridiculous year. maybe 5 guys in the history of baseball could do that in that era of bats. The 300 k's wouldve been the deciding factor for me. imagine the dodgers year if they had scherzer at that point though. holy fuck am i glad we got to play the mets in the WS that year

Grenkie’s lukewarm end…… a 2.15 era over the last two months…… if that’s lukewarm I will take 5 lukewarm pitchers please

YEEEEAAAHHHH JOLLY DODGER