At 28 years old, Chicago Cubs starter Jake Arrieta was a darn good pitcher for his team last season. In 25 starts, the righty recorded a 10-5 record with a 2.53 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. That came on the heels of Arrieta putting up a substandard 24-27 record with an ERA of well over 4.50 in his first three-plus seasons in the Majors. 

Needless to say, no one saw Arrieta's utter domination this year. After yielding just one run and six hits in a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, the 29-year-old starter boasts a 19-6 record with a 1.99 ERA in 29 starts this season. He's also posted a sub 1.00 WHIP with 204 strikeouts in 199 innings. 

This has led to strong speculation that Arrieta is among the favorites to earn the National League Cy Young Award. 

When looking at the splits for some of the top contenders for the award, Arrieta stacks up darn well: 

Statistically speaking, it's safe to say that the race is between Arrietta and the two Dodgers aces. While Kershaw doesn't compare in terms of win-loss record (not a great barometer to use), he is 55 strikeouts ahead of his two other counterparts in the race. What makes Arrieta a legitimate candidate is that he ranks in the top three of the NL in starts, wins, innings pitched, ERA, strikeouts and WHIP. 

It may be too early to call this race, but Arrieta has placed himself on a strong foundation. The final three-plus weeks of the season should be telling.