August Cy Young

John Rieger, USATSI
John Rieger, USATSI

Masahiro Tanaka

The 27-year-old was a true ace, a horse, a stopper … you name it. Most importantly, he thrived when the team needed him most.

In six August starts, the right-hander went 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA, striking out 38 and walking only one over 39 stellar frames. His work also yielded an exceptional 0.90 WHIP and an opponent’s batting average of .228.

Since July 1, Tanaka is 6-2 with a 2.77 ERA over 11 starts.

He has stepped up in tremendous ways here in 2016.

 Next: Game of the Month