truth be told, I would rather face Greinke in a 1-game playoff than Arrieta RIGHT NOW. But the Cy is a season-long award and Greinke was a stud from the very beginning and very even throughout the year.
Interesting side-by-side of performances though.....
Both allowed 0 ERs 12 times this season.
Greinke never went less than 6. Arrieta only three times.
In his 3 losses, Greinke gave up a total of 6 ERs. Arrieta gave up 16 ERs in his 6 losses.
Cubs lost 8 games when Arrieta started, but none since July 25th. Dodgers lost 9 when Greinke started.
Kershaw's 300Ks is the primary reason he's in the discussion this year...he may steal some votes from Greinke.
Arrieta also pitched 3 shutouts in 4 complete games. Greinke never pitched in the 9th.
Greinke had a 5.0 SO/BB ratio. Arrrieta had a 4.92.
Both pitchers had an average game score of 67. I don't think voters care much about that, but it's damn impressive. FWIW, Kershaw averaged 68.
The fact of the matter is, no matter how you slice it, we just watched a couple of amazing pitching performances that would be Cy Young locks in most years. They just happened to occur in the same season, and so only one of them can win.
It's all going to come down to if the voters put a premium on consistency. Greinke was very good all year. Arrieta started decently, and then transformed into an otherworldly pitcher, and his entire season ended up averaging out to about what Greinke did consistently. So, voters that like consistency will vote Greinke, and voters that like dominance will vote Arrieta. To put it differently, Arrieta had a higher ceiling this year, but also a lower floor. Greinke was just solid non-stop. His best was never as good as Arrieta, but his worst was never as bad, either.
I don't think either player has a right to grumble if the other guy wins it. I think if Kershaw sneaks in and takes it, they might have a right to complain, but not too loudly.
