Dodgers: Walker Buehler Congratulates 2021 Cy Young Winners

Last week, the NL Cy Young Award was announced and, sadly, it didn't go to any of the three deserving Dodgers starters. Julio Urias, who was the only pitcher in baseball to get twenty wins last season, finished eighth, while Max Scherzer and Walker Buehler finished third, and fourth respectively. 

Walker Buehler being the consummate professional that he is, took to Twitter to congratulate the NL winner and Milwaukee Brewers starter Corbin Burnes, as well as the AL winner, Blue Jays lefty Robbie Ray.

Buehler entered the month of September leading all pitchers in ERA(2.05) and was widely expected to take home the Cy Young. He also had a 0.915 WHIP and was a key component on one of baseball's finest teams. Then, in the final full month of the season, Buehler had two uncharacteristically awful starts.

First, there was a Sunday Night baseball collapse against the Giants where he threw for only three innings and gave up six earned runs. Unfortunately, it was a national primetime game, which meant that voters who don't usually get to watch every game of every contender were left unimpressed with the 27-year-old.

Next, came Coors Field where he went only 3.2 innings and gave up five earned runs. While this may not come as a shock to anyone given that it is Coors Field, two disastrous starts in a row only hurt his chances. All in all, in his final six starts of the regular season, Buehler recorded a dismal 4.83 ERA.

Between the previous Covid shortened season and his 207.2 innings pitched this year, which was well above his previous career-best of 182.1 IP, there's little doubt that fatigue was a factor. But, as is with every other pitcher, it's something he's got to learn to cope with at some point.

It sucks that Walker Buehler didn’t win his first Cy Young this season. But, the future Hall-of-Famer still has many accolades yet to collect in his career and I can safely say that it would be a shock if he isn’t the one receiving Cy Young congratulatory tweets in the near future.