Man...

I feel bad for Roy Halladay.

He has a career earned run average of 3.51, a record of 129-64, and he's done it all while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East since 1998, which hasn't exactly been an open race over those years.

Halladay DID win the Cy Young award in 2003, but thanks to names like Roger Clemens, Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, Bartolo Colon, C.C. Sabathia, and the forever dominant Barry Zito, he's only got the one trophy.


Here we are in 2008, where Halladay has posted an 18-9 record so far with an e.r.a of 2.64 on top of it. Unfortunately, there's a man named Cliff Lee throwing over in Cleveland who is 21-2 with a 2.28 e.r.a.!

Though I desperately want to, I can't argue that Lee is a shoe-in for the Cy Young award this season. Halladay is having a remarkable season, but once again, he's second best.

This is how Mike Mussina must have felt throughout the 90's, how 98 Degrees felt next to N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys, and how the Mets feel next to the Phillies (thanks, Mike Schmidt).

Browsing through Halladay's stats last night, I thought I found the kicker that could potentially overtake Lee when the voting is done. Halladay's last five starts have been against the Rays, at the Yankees, at the Rays, against the Yankees, and at Boston. He is 5-0 in those starts with a 2.25 e.r.a.

His team has risen from the depths, and is now 10 games over .500, good for third in the A.L. East. The Blue Jays have scored 127 runs in Halladay's 29 starts, which is a little less than four and a half runs per game. That's decent run support for someone with such a low e.r.a., but the Jays have been shutout three times when Halladay takes the hill.

He has 21 quality starts, eight complete games, leads the league in innings pitched and WHIP, and is third in strikeouts.

Sounds like a solid Cy Young resume.

But then I looked at Lee's statistics.

Aside from the 21-2 record and the 2.28 e.r.a., Lee has 23 quality starts with a little extra run support (149 runs in 28 starts), and ranks second to Halladay in WHIP, innings pitched, and complete games. He has only 31 strikeouts less than Halladay, and the Indians' bullpen has actually blown two saves for Lee, whereas the Blue Jays' bullpen has been rock solid, never giving up one of Halladay's leads.

When all of the numbers are this close and neither team is in a pennant race, you've gotta give the nod to the wins and losses. Sorry, Roy. Maybe next year.