Orioles closer Zach Britton picked up his 41st save of the season Sunday in a 3-1 victory over the Tigers. The 28-year old pitcher has been arguably the most valuable asset in any bullpen in baseball in 2016, and below are five reasons he deserves to be this year’s American League Cy Young Award winner:
- Perfection – The O’s closer has received 41 saves in as many opportunities, and is the only closer in baseball who has yet to blow a save. There has been no player in baseball this season that’s been more consistent than Britton.
- Earned Runs – Britton ranks third in the MLB in saves, behind the Mets’ Jeurys Familia (48) and the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen (43). Familia has given up 18 earned runs this season; Jansen has given up 12. How many has Britton surrendered? FOUR.
- WHIP – Britton boasts a WHIP (walks + hits per inning pitched) of 0.84 this season. This is lower than the four AL starting pitchers considered to be leading the Cy Young race as of Monday:
- Rick Porcello – 1.02
- Cory Kluber – 1.04
- JA Happ – 1.17
- Cole Hamels – 1.31
4. The Sinker – ESPN Insider ranked Zach Britton’s sinker as the best pitch in baseball…in January. That means it had already gained notice around the league coming into the season, and it has only gotten better. When he’s on, Britton throws a 95 mph sinker, that starts at the knees and drops out just as the batter commits to swing. It’s as close to unhittable as any pitch in baseball, even challenging Kershaw’s 12-6 curve.
5. His Value – You could make a very good argument for Britton as the Orioles MVP this season. That’s high praise on a team that includes superstar Manny Machado, and MLB home run leader Mark Trumbo, but it’s certainly fair. Britton has been the anchor of the backend of the bullpen, which has been just about the O’s only reliable pitching all year. On a team ranks 20th in the MLB in ERA, and 22nd in k’s, who knows how the O’s would’ve fared without Britton providing a sure save to close out close games all season.
So why shouldn’t Britton be the first reliever to win the award since Dennis Eckersley in 1992?
Birds of Baltimore 