Los Angeles Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu definitely can win the Cy Young

Hyun-Jin Ryu has been absolutely dominant for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which leaves many wondering if a Cy Young bid is in the cards.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the National League West six years in a row in large part due to a consistently great pitching staff. While the names have rotated in and out, the Dodgers have always maintained a deep pitching staff, which has led to great results.

While the bullpen has been a headache at time, Dodger fans have seen just how deep the Dodgers rotation really is this season. Los Angeles has five great starters that are capable of spinning gems on a nightly basis and has two starters in the bullpen that would be, at worst, the third-best arm on every single other MLB team.

The Dodgers’ starting rotation not only has the fourth-best ERA in the league but has the most innings pitched, showing that the Dodgers’ starters go deeper in games more often than any other team.

More from LA Sports Hub

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
• LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month

The best pitcher for the Dodgers this year has been none other than Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has always been good when he can remain healthy. Unfortunately for Ryu, that has not been constant throughout his career.

Ryu has really stepped up his game over the last two seasons and although he missed significant time last year, has been absolutely dominant this year. He has missed one start to be fair but Ryu holds a 1.72 ERA in 52.1 innings pitched this season.

Ryu spun his second gem in a row on Sunday, taking a no-hitter into the late stages of the game for the second time. Over his last three starts, Ryu has allowed one run in 25 innings with nine hits, 21 strikeouts and just one walk.

This run has put him among the league’s best and suddenly has entered his name into the Cy Young conversation when before the season he was the third most-likely Dodger to be in that conversation.

He has not captured the eye of the mainstream audience because of his injuries but Ryu absolutely is a Cy Young candidate this year and can keep up this high level of play.

Ryu has been dominant over a long enough period of time that it is not crazy to think that this can extend to an entire season if he stays healthy. Over the last two years, among pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched, Ryu’s 1.87 ERA is the best in baseball.

Not only is Ryu not allowing runs but he is not issuing free passes. His 5.93 walk to strikeout ratio would have been the third-best in baseball if he qualified last year. This year, his 18.0 strikeout to walk ratio is not only the best in the league but would be historic.

The year is young and we do not want to guarantee anything. However, we do not want to overlook Ryu potentially contending for a Cy Young just because he has not before and has not even been an all-star in his career.

Hyun-Jin Ryu can win the 2019 Cy Young Award and that is not a crazy thing to say. If he keeps pitching like he is right now, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have the MLB’s best 13th Cy Young in franchise history.