2014 Year in Review: November Edition

Kershaw captures both NL Cy Young and MVP

Oct 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

For as impressive as Clayton Kershaw was in 2014, many thought it would be tough for him to capture both the NL MVP and Cy Young award. It was a lock that Kershaw would win his third NL Cy Young award, as he was the best pitcher in the National League by a landslide. However it was the NL MVP award that many questioned whether he would be able to capture, he was going up against some of the best hitters the National League saw in 2014 such as Giancarlo Stanton and Andrew McCutchen. In 2014 Stanton was a powerhouse for the Marlins batting .288 and blasting 37 home runs and 105 RBI’s, his play was one of the only bright spots for a struggling Marlins franchise that has lacked a superstar presence since losing Josh Beckett in 2005. Meanwhile McCutchen was able to bat .314 for the Pirates in 2014 while blasting 25 home runs and driving in 83 RBI’s, his production all season was a main factor in the Pirates gaining their second straight playoff birth. However Kershaw’s impressive season, going 21-3 while putting up a 1.77 ERA and striking out 239 batters, is what captivated most voters and lead them to voting for Kershaw. He ended up getting 18 of 30 first place votes amongst all the voters, and as a result clinched the Cy Young for the young southpaw. Kershaw commented shortly after his name was announced and the humble Kershaw spoke about the honor it is to be called MVP, “To say you’re MVP, I don’t know if I could ever get used to that, but it’s obviously a huge honor.” Kershaw and the Dodgers hope that he can replicate that performance in 2015 and keep that going into the postseason, a place where the Dodgers have struggled as of late.