The arrival of Max Scherzer to the Los Angeles Dodgers puts the 2020 World Series champion at the center of a new debate in MLB.
Major League Baseball analysts and many baseball fans believe that Dodgers management put together the best team in major league history.
With Scherzer a 2013, 2016 and 2017 Cy Young winner, manager Dave Roberts’ pitching staff now has four winners of this award, including Trevor Bauer (2020), on indefinite administrative leave.
The others are lefties Clayton Kershaw (2011, 2013 and 2014) and David Price (2012). That gives a total of 8 Cy Young trophies among the four.
In addition, there are 6 MVP awards in the lineup. All three of the veteran Albert Pujols (2005, 2008 and 2009), the one that Mookie Betts conquered in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox, the one of Cody Bellinger in 2019 and one more, of Kershaw, in 2014.
There have been great teams in MLB history, but none comes close to having such an award-winning roster.
The 1961 New York Yankees had the 3 MVPs of Yogi Berra (1951, 1954 and 1955) and the two of Mickey Mantle (1956 and 1957), which would add one more the following year. Two members of that team would be honored that year: Roger Maris was MVP and Whitey Ford was Cy Young.
Neither did the 1975 Cincinnati Reds come close, which although they had a star-studded lineup, only had the MVPs of Johnny Bench (1971 and 1972) and the one that Pete Rose won in 1973.
The 1997 Atlanta Braves had an armored rotation with 6 Cy Young Awards, those of Greg Maddux (1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995), that of Tom Glavine in 1991 and that of John Smoltz in 1996. But none of their players from position had an MVP, since it was a few years for Chipper Jones to achieve it.
In terms of the amount of awards, the Dodgers have the best team in history. (Fansided)