Is It Too Early to Give Roy Halladay the NL Cy Young Award?

When you think of top pitchers in the game, names like C.C. Sabathia, Tim Lincecum, Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, and Johan Santana come up.

Nowhere in the discussion does Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay come up...except with Phillie fans.

However, after what we've seen from Halladay in the first four games of the 2010 season, is it too early to give him the NL Cy Young Award?

Philadelphia fans would be happy for Major League Baseball to go ahead and do this, while others would be hesitant, especially San Francisco Giants and New York Mets fans.

The first reason is simply looking at Halladay's statistics through the first four games of the season. Sure, you can't expect him to keep up this pace through the rest of the season, but his numbers simply speak for themselves over the course of his career.

This year, he has a 4-0 record, has recorded 28 strikeouts, walked three batters, and given up three earned runs, and has a measly 0.82 ERA.

Now, there are those who will say, "The Phillies haven't played anyone to start the season."

Actually, they have. The only team Halladay has pitched against that doesn't have a winning record is the Houston Astros. Florida, Atlanta, and yes, even Washington all are above .500.

The second reason why Halladay should just go ahead and be named the NL Cy Young is by watching video and looking at the way he carries himself during every pitch. Whether he's down 3-0 in the count or is up 0-2, Halladay always feels like he can get the out. There's no nervousness or stress coming from the mound. He goes out there and does simply what he's done for the last 12 years.

The final reason to go ahead and give Halladay the award is because the Phillies have, without a doubt, the best offense in the National League. That alone will allow Halladay to be successful on the mound.

Each night out, the Phillies will give their ace a chance to pitch with a lead. When you give an ace like Halladay a lead to pitch with, he's going to be very hard to beat.

Now, will Halladay be named the Cy Young winner at the end of the year?

Only time will tell.

But if the season continues to go the way it has, then you could likely see the first 25-game winner since Bob Welch did it in 1990. That alone should win Halladay the NL Cy Young award, if nothing else.

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