As the 2013 season hits the stretch run, a 21-year-old pitcher with Cuban roots has enough momentum to hold off a 22-year-old slugger, also with Cuban roots, in this week's MLB Rookie Watch.
But can the younger star claim National League Rookie of the Year honors, with the specter of a team-imposed shutdown on the horizon? (Stats through Sept. 9)
This could be the final week for Fernandez at the top spot. The club plans to shut down its front-line stud after Wednesday's start against the Atlanta Braves.
This essentially gives the Los Angeles Dodgers Yasiel Puig a two-week window, unfettered, to claim Rookie of the Year honors.
Of course, Fernandez has been so dominant of late ... perhaps some voters have already earmarked the right-hander for the award.
Check out his absurd run in recent months:
** Fernandez is 8-0 with Gibson-esque ERA of 1.19 (91 innings in 14 starts) at Marlins Park.
** Of his last 23 starts, dating back to April 29, Fernandez has surrendered three runs or less 22 times.
** Fernandez has struck out eight or more 12 times — including his last four outings.
** Since June 14, the Marlins' lone All-Star has registered double-digit strikeouts four times — a feat only replicated by Rangers ace Yu Darvish.
** From a 30-day perspective, Fernandez has a 3-1 record, 0.82 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 39/8 K-BB and .132 opponents' batting average.
Puig no longer merits serious consideration for National League MVP.
That ship has sailed.
But he's still a viable candidate for the ROY hardware, with the potential to run away with the award ... if he finishes strong and Miami's Fernandez gets put on the shelf.
However, Puig has struggled of late, batting only .263 (with a .321 on-base percentage) over the last 30 days. Iin that span, his overall batting average has plunged 33 points.
On the plus side, among NL hitters with at least 300 at-bats, Puig leads the league in hitting and ranks third with OBP — behind Cincinnati's Joey Votto and Shin-Soo Choo. (Note: Puig doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify for the official NL batting title.)
On a smaller scale, the Dodgers phenom also has 20 multiple-hit games since June 30.
In Puig's brief time in the big leagues, Los Angeles boasts a 61-27 overall record, transforming a 7½-game deficit in the NL West (June 3) into a 12-game advantage.
In general, the 22-year-old Teheran has been a reliable source of energy for the Braves this season.
However, there's a feast-or-famine aspect to the last three months, too.
From June 5 to Aug. 30, spanning 16 outings, Teheran has allowed two or less runs 11 times; the other five starts yielded middling returns of three, four, four, five and five runs.
In that span, the Braves rookie has also notched eight-plus strikeouts six times — including his last two starts.
For the entire year, Teheran has recorded three or less walks in 25 of 26 outings.
It's entirely possible that Miller and Ryu end up with the same amount of NL Rookie of the Year votes by season's end, given their eerily similar tallies.
Here's a tale of the tape:
Wins: Ryu 13, Miller 12
ERA: Ryu 3.02, Miller 3.19
WHIP: Miller 1.21, Ryu 1.22
Strikeouts: Miller 157, Ryu 139
Walks: Ryu 46, Miller 48
Opponents' batting average Miller .235-.252
Outings of three or less runs allowed: Miller 23-21
Outings of seven or more strikeouts: Miller 9-7
Advantage: Miller
Myers is an excellent bet to bring home ROY honors in the American League — even though he currently doesn't lead in hits, runs, doubles, triples, homers, RBI, steals, batting average or on-base percentage among the Junior Circuit's first-year crop.
But that could change in the coming days. Of his last six games (Sept. 3-8), Myers has two homers, three RBI, three multiple-hit games and four runs, a micro mimicking of his tremendous work from July 10-28 — four homers, 13 RBI, 10 runs and 10 multiple-hit outings.
It also helps that Tampa Bay has a 42-30 record since Myers' big-league debut on June 18.
If the playoffs began today ... the Rays would be the AL's second wild card.
