White Sox ace Dylan Cease was named one of three finalists for the American League Cy Young award Monday, along with the Astros’ Justin Verlander and Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah.
Cease, 26, went 14-8 and was second in the AL with a 2.20 ERA over 32 starts and a career-high 184 innings. He was second in the AL in strikeouts (227) and opponents average (.190) and third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.10).
Verlander, 39, is the heavy favorite to win his third award after going 18-4 with an AL best 1.75 ERA and 0.829 WHIP. Manoah was 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA over 31 starts.
Cease’s strikeout total was second in the AL behind the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (257).
The award is voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
