In a season filled with remarkable pitching performances, Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen has emerged as one of the standout stars, earning him a spot as a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award. The Cy Young Award, a prestigious accolade in Major League Baseball, is bestowed upon the best pitcher in each league. Gallen’s journey to this nomination has been nothing short of impressive.
Going head-to-head with formidable contenders like Blake Snell and Logan Webb, Gallen faced stiff competition. Snell, with his remarkable performance, is considered the frontrunner for the award. However, Gallen didn’t back down; he put up a formidable fight throughout the season.
Gallen’s regular season stats speak volumes about his prowess on the mound. He concluded the 2023 regular season with a 3.47 Earned Run Average (ERA), an impressive 220 strikeouts, and a stellar 1.12 Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched (WHIP) ratio. Notably, he played a pivotal role in leading the Diamondbacks to their first postseason appearance since 2017, and his presence continued to shine during the postseason as he carried the team forward.
Despite Gallen’s exceptional performance, many baseball enthusiasts believe that Blake Snell is destined to secure the NL Cy Young Award this year. Snell, while throwing fewer innings than Gallen, boasted a remarkable 2.25 ERA over 180 innings of play. Additionally, he managed to tally an astonishing 234 strikeouts, even with 40 fewer innings than his competitors. His WHIP, standing at 1.19, further underscores his dominance on the mound. Snell’s electrifying and lights-out performance is reminiscent of his previous Cy Young win when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018.
While Gallen’s contribution to the youthful Diamondbacks’ squad this season has been undeniably significant, it’s clear that Blake Snell’s achievements with the San Diego Padres have been nothing short of spectacular. Gallen, however, remains a promising talent with numerous opportunities ahead of him to secure a Cy Young Award in the future, given his exceptional skills and dedication to the game.
The 2023 National League Cy Young Award is poised to be a highly competitive race, with Blake Snell emerging as the favorite. Nevertheless, Zac Gallen’s remarkable performance has not gone unnoticed, and he is undoubtedly a rising star in the world of professional baseball.