The Cy Young winners get announced tonight. I’m not going to sit here and say the MLB is up to something with their awards strategy, but they’re 100% up to something with their awards strategy. It seems like they’re hinting their award winners with the presenters of the award, and they might be doing it with the Cy Young Award as well. 

Jonathan India won the NL Rookie of the Year award on Monday night and was presented his award from Johnny Bench, a 17 year Hall of Fame catcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Then just last night, former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler won the NL Manager of the Year award, receiving 28 of 30 first-place votes after his 107-win season with the San Francisco Giants. His presenter? Bruce Bochy. 

The NL Cy Young Award winner will be announced tonight on MLB Network, around 6:00 EST. Zack Wheeler, Max Scherzer, and Corbin Burnes are the three finalists for the award. The trophy will be presented by Orel Hershiser, former Dodgers pitcher of 13 years, and current announcer.

Jack McDowell will be presenting the AL winner tonight, former Chicago White Sox pitcher of 7 years. Although Lance Lynn isn’t the favorite going up against Gerrit Cole and Robbie Ray, this could also be a case of MLB foreshadowing as well. 

If it was up to me (completely unbiased), the winner of the NL Cy Young would be Zack Wheeler. Zack Wheeler has thrown 34 more innings than Max Scherzer, and 46.1 more innings than Corbin Burnes. Wheeler finished the season with a 14-10 record, tallying a 2.78 ERA with 247 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP. Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham sat down with the MLB Network crew to discuss Zack Wheeler’s dominant 2021 season.

Who knows what’s going to happen. The MLB is up to something shady, and hopefully, Hershiser will be calling Zack Wheeler’s name tonight. Mike Schmidt will be presenting the NL MVP award, so hopefully, the shady strategy goes in our favor on Thursday night. Cy Young tonight, MVP tomorrow. If both Wheeler and Harper win their awards, it will be only the second time in MLB history that the winner of both awards played for the same team and didn’t make the playoffs. Pain, let’s ride. 

Mandatory Credit: Getty Images