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AL Cy Young Power Rankings: Dominant Manaea the early favorite

Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

At the end of each month, theScore's MLB editors will break down the leading candidates for the MVP and Cy Young awards in the American and National Leagues. Today, we're ranking the early favorites for the 2018 AL Cy Young.

5. Rick Porcello, Red Sox

IP ERA WHIP K/9 WAR
40.1 2.23 0.84 8.5 1.6

After a tumultuous 2017 campaign in which he finished 11-17 with a 4.65 ERA, 2016 Cy Young owner Rick Porcello is looking like a winner once again. The 29-year-old right-hander is off to a fantastic 4-0 start with a 2.23 ERA for the AL East-leading Red Sox. Porcello's limiting opposing hitters to an average below .200, and he along with fellow rotation studs Chris Sale and David Price gives the Red Sox one of the top trios in all of baseball.

4. Corey Kluber, Indians

IP ERA WHIP K/9 WAR
45.1 2.18 0.77 9.3 1.1

Deploy the Klu-bot.

Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber has easily been one of baseball's best pitchers for the last five seasons and he's off to an outrageous start for the AL Central-leading Indians.

The 32-year-old right-hander is a workhorse (with four consecutive 200-plus inning seasons under his belt) who leads all of MLB in innings pitched (45 1/3) and already has two Cy Youngs under his belt. So far, winning No. 3 doesn't appear to be that far of a stretch.

3. Gerrit Cole, Astros

IP ERA WHIP K/9 WAR
41.2 1.73 0.79 13.2 1.8

When the Houston Astros acquired Gerrit Cole via trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates in January, it was obvious they acquired a top-tier starter to add to an already impressive starting rotation. But, what Cole has accomplished in Texas so far is nuts.

The 27-year-old looks like a pitcher with a new passion in life, who has struck out an MLB-best 61 hitters - ahead of prominent strikeout artists like Max Scherzer and Noah Syndergaard.

Cole's addition to a Houston rotation already in possession of Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander is just not fair.

2. Justin Verlander, Astros

IP ERA WHIP K/9 WAR
39.2 1.36 0.73 10.9 1.2

This horse ain't ready to ride off into the sunset just yet.

The 35-year-old Verlander looks better than ever and is off to a 4-0 start, which includes a 1.36 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and a 0.73 WHIP in 39 2/3 innings.

Since arriving in Houston last August, Verlander hasn't lost a regular-season game and only has one loss to his credit, which came in Game 6 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The hard-throwing right-hander is back to striking out more than 10 hitters per nine innings like he did in his prime with the Detroit Tigers, and if he keeps up this pace he may very well walk away with the second Cy Young of his impressive career.

1. Sean Manaea, Athletics

IP ERA WHIP K/9 WAR
43.2 1.03 0.62 7.6 1.0

It's been 16 years since the AL Cy Young was awarded to a pitcher from Oakland when southpaw Barry Zito took home the illustrious honor.

But a new lefty in Oakland is making an early case for the award this year.

Sean Manaea sits atop theScore's first edition of the AL Cy Young Power Rankings after a spectacular start to his season, which included MLB's first no-hitter of 2018.

Manaea not only mystified the powerful Boston Red Sox with the no-no, but he also set a new Oakland record for consecutive no-hit innings (14).

The 26-year-old's 1.03 ERA is an AL best.

Honorable mention: Luis Severino (Yankees), Charlie Morton (Astros), Chris Sale (Red Sox)

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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