Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer and Anthony Rendon named finalists for 2019 BBWAA Awards...

Max Scherzer was named a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) last night, putting him in the running for a third Cy Young in four years, and the fourth of his career if he somehow comes out on top when the winner is announced on November 13th.

In what was ultimately a frustrating 2019 regular season for him, which was interrupted by two stints on the Injured List (for scapulothoracic bursitis and then a mild rhomboid strain), Scherzer still managed to go (11-7) in 27 outings, with a 2.92 ERA, a 2.45 FIP, 33 walks (1.72 BB/9), 243 Ks (12.69 K/9), and a .222/.266/.371 line against in 172 ¹⁄₃ innings, over which he was worth 6.5 fWAR.

“It was just a confusing injury,” Scherzer told reporters before the postseason began, when asked about the issues which limited him to four starts between June 30th and September 3rd.

“There [were] times where I could recover and get back to 100% and go out there and pitch in a game and I could actually do damage to myself, so that’s what the most confusing part about the whole thing was, knowing when I was actually truly 100%.

“But it was something you’ve just got to take in stride, and make adjustments around it.

“There will be bigger adjustments really in the offseason programs to address that, than anything in season.”

Scherzer finished the regular season ranked first amongst starters in the NL in K/9 and K/BB (7.36), ranked second in fWAR, third in total Ks, fourth in opponents’ OBP, WHIP (1.03), and BB/9, fifth in HR/9 (0.94), sixth in ERA, seventh in opponents’ batting average, and ninth in opponents’ SLG.

The New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom, the 2018 winner, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu are the other finalists for the 2019 NL Cy Young.

RENDON FOR NL MVP?:

Davey Martinez is Anthony Rendon’s No. 1 fan. He was asked to make a pitch for his 29-year-old as the National League MVP in August, and said he would give Rendon all of the awards this season.

“I’ll make a case for him right now, MVP, Gold Glove, my man, Anthony,” Martinez said.

Rendon is a finalist for the NL MVP and an NL Gold Glove award at third base after putting up .319/.412/.598 line with 44 doubles, 34 home runs, 117 runs scored, 126 RBIs, and 154 wRC+ in 146 games and 646 plate appearances this season, while finishing with a .969 fld%, (tied for fifth among qualified NL third basemen), +2 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), (which were the sixth-most in the NL), and a 2.0 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), which was fifth best in the so-called senior circuit. He finished the regular season at a career-high 7.0 fWAR.

Rendon was ranked first in the NL in RBIs and fWAR, was tied for first in doubles, ended up ranked second in OBP, and tied for second in multi-hit games (55), was third in AVG, runs, and SLG, and was tied for third in extra-base hits (81).

The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger and Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich are the other finalists for the NL MVP, which will be announced on November 14th.