NL CY Young Power Rankings: Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw the clear-cut favorite

Every week until the end of the season, we'll take a look at the top CY Young candidates in the National League.

The National League leader in wins (18), K/9 (10.66), fWAR (6.4), and ERA (1.67) to name a few, is, at this point - the run-away leader to claim the CY Young award in the senior circuit for the second straight year, and third time in the last four seasons. 

Kershaw has been down-right filthy this season, allowing two or fewer runs in 18 of his 24 starts. Despite missing the first five weeks of the season due to a strain in his left shoulder, Kershaw is also in contention for the National League MVP - something no NL pitcher has won since Bob Gibson did in 1968 for the St. Louis Cardinals. 

In fact - Kershaw is so far ahead of the competition, his odds to win the Cy Young have been removed from most sites.

Let's be honest. If it wasn't for Kershaw, Johnny Cueto would be the favorite to claim the Cy Young hardware - but that being said, the Reds right-hander is surely putting together a solid season, despite the team's struggles. On the season, Cueto has made 30 starts, posted a 17-8 record, with a 2.23 ERA. He currently sits first in innings pitched (214.0) and second in the NL in strikeouts with 213 (Strasburg has 215). In Cueto's 30 starts, he's recorded at least seven strikeouts in 18 of them. After suffering from varous injuries that held him to just 11 starts in 2013 - Cueto has given the Reds a consistent effort each time through the rotation - all good reason for the team to pickup his $10-million option for 2015.

The St. Louis Cardinals had a small scare with their All-Star right-hander this past June, when they sent him for an MRI on his sore elbow. The good news, it came back with no damage found, the bad news - he just hasn't been as consistent as the 2013 season, when he finished the year as the runner-up in NL Cy Young voting after a 19-win campaign. Wainwright has still posted solid numbers this year: 17-9, 2.62 ERA, 47 BB, 156 K, but went through a rough August, allowing 22 earned runs in 38 1/3 innings - the most he's allowed in any month since he gave up 22 in June of 2012.

No reliever has taken home the National League Cy Young award since Eric Gagne took home the prize while with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003, and this year won't be any different, despite incredible numbers from the Braves closer. Kimbrel is tied with the Cardinals' Trevor Rosenthal for the league lead in saves with 43, and owns a 1.61 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 13.8 K/9 in 57 games. The four-time all-star also became the Braves all-time saves leader back in early June.

The Giants rotation has been a strong suit for the team the last five seasons, but with Matt Cain out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery, and Tim Lincecum struggling so bad in the second half he was moved to the bullpen, Bumgarner has been their ace of the staff thus far. The left-hander owns a 17-9 record and 3.02 ERA in 30 starts over 197 innings pitched, and has a 9.1 K/9 -  which would be a new career-best. He has won eight of his last 11 decisions, and is coming off an incredible August - allowing just eight earned runs over 46 innings, with 56 strikeouts and only three walks.