With two months to go, the battle for the American League Cy Young is looking like a four-horse race among CC Sabathia, Josh Beckett, Jered Weaver and Justin Verlander.

While each are deserving candidates to date, if given a vote I would go with none other than JV.

Wins and earned run average are both important statistics for pitchers. Verlander ranks third in era behind Beckett and Weaver with a 2.24, and second in wins trailing Sabathia by one with 15. While Verlander’s numbers in both categories are impressive, I would not award him the coveted prize based on wins — a highly overrated statistic to begin with considering Felix Hernandez took the award last year with only 13 — and ERA.

WHIP is a statistic with gaining prestige — almost important as era — as it is a calculation of the number of base runners a pitcher allows per inning. Verlander leads the majors among starters in this category at .87.

How about quality starts, when a pitcher goes at least six innings giving up three earned runs or less, and complete games? Verlander is tied for first with Weaver in the AL in quality starts with 21, and tied for first in complete games with Sabathia at 4.

In another statistic often overlooked, Verlander leads the four in innings pitched per start with an average of 7.5. This is an important statistic because, along with quality starts and complete games, it shows the Tigers do not have to rely on their bullpen as much when Verlander is on the mound.

In my opinion, JV also has the nastiest “stuff”. With his 99-m.p.h. fastball and twelve-to-six curveball, JV. has the highest strikeouts to innings pitched ratio among the four with .98 strikeouts per inning. His opponents are hitting .186 against him, trailing Beckett’s .184.

Let us not forget about Verlander’s no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays this past May.

While I may be looking at the race for the AL Cy Young through jaded-Tigers-fan glasses, at this point I feel the award would have to go to JV.