By Michael Lipinski, Sports Talk Philly Contributor 
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler nearly added a Cy Young Award to his impressive resume but was edged out by Milwaukee Brewers righty Corbin Burnes. And boy was it close. Wheeler and Burns both recorded 12-of-30 first place votes but Burns took the award by notching more second place votes, 14-to-9. Washington National pitcher Max Scherzer finished a distant third.
Before fans have a meltdown, Burnes had a season that has never been done in modern baseball. He was the first pitcher in the Modern Era to lead all qualified pitchers in strikeout, walk, and home run rate. He finished the season with an 11-5 record, 2.43 ERA, 234K, 167 IP, and 0.83 WHIP for the NL Central Champion Brewers.
Wheeler finished the season with a 14-10 record, 2.78 ERA, 247K, 213.1 IP, and 1.01 WHIP for the second place Phillies. He also added three complete games, two of which were shutouts, in 2021 for the Fightin’s.
Pitchers and catchers report in about 88-days.
