Two days ago, I gave you an [AL Cy Young Preview]. There were 10 guys in the AL whom I felt had a legitimate chance to win the AL Cy Young. In the NL, the race isn't quite that wide open. Here are 6 guys who are the main players in the race:




Tim Lincecum
The Giants have been looking forward to seeing this guy in the bigs for a while, and for good reason. In only his 2nd season (1st full) in the majors, Lincecum has been outstanding. He's 12-3, accounting for 25% of the Giants' total wins. He's 2nd in the NL in ERA (2.68) and leads the NL in K's (by 24). Despite an offense that averages less than 4 runs per game, Lincecum has consistently given the Giants a chance to win, and has dominated opposing offenses. There are only 4 pitchers with 100 IP or more who have given up fewer HR's than Lincecum (9).


Carlos Zambrano
The Chicago ace is 12-4, with a 2.76 ERA (4th in the NL). His WHIP is an excellent 1.21, and batters are only managing to hit .237 off him. The Cubs are 15-7 in games that Zambrano has started, and he's a huge reason they are firmly in control of the NL Central right now.


Ryan Dempster
Not surprisingly, there is another Cub on the list. After pitching nearly exclusively in relief for the past 4 years, Dempster has experienced a resurgence this year as a starter. He's tied for 6th in the NL with a 2.93 ERA, and is right up there with Zambrano, with a 12-5 record. 16 of the Cubs' 69 wins have come when Dempster started, and he has been a pleasant surprise for the North Siders.


Dan Haren
3rd in the NL in ERA (2.75), 5th in strikeouts (142), 1st in WHIP (0.98), 1st in K/BB (5.92), 3rd in opposing batting average (.220), and a 12-5 record are some of the huge reasons why Dan Haren is making a strong case to be the Cy Young this year. Haren has only had 4 outings where he has given up more than 3 earned runs, and hasn't given up more than 5 all season.


Brandon Webb
The Diamondbacks' other option for Cy Young is having an equally ridiculous year. Webb is the model for groundball pitchers, leading all NL starters with a 3.56 ground ball to fly ball ratio. He has given up only 8 HR in 163 innings, which is the fewest out of all NL pitchers with 101 or more innings pitched (Andrew Miller has given up 6 in 100 and 2/3 IP). Webb currently leads the majors with 16 wins (16-4), is tied for 6th in the NL with a 2.93 ERA, and 5th in K's with 142.


Edinson Volquez
Not only is Edinson Volquez a strong Cy Young candidate, he might also come away with the NL Rookie of the Year award. In his first full big-league season, he has already accounted for 25% of the Reds' 52 wins so far (13-5), is 6th in the NL in K's (141), and tied with Webb and Dempster for 6th with a 2.93 ERA. Volquez has really been the lone bright spot in the Reds' rotation, and showing that he was every bit worth it, when the Reds traded Josh Hamilton for him last December.



The Verdict?
This one is a tough one to call. In my opinion, it comes down to Webb, Lincecum and Haren. If I had to choose, I'd have to vote Lincecum #1. His dominating lead in the K's category, as well as his ability to win without a competent offense gives him the edge in my book. And he just turned 24 in June, so I'm sure he'll be on this list for years to come.


Who's your pick so far for the NL Cy Young award?