White Sox midseason awards: A few diamonds in the rough

Jul 11, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (49) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Cy Young award – SP Chris Sale

Sale has built the reputation as one of the filthiest pitchers in the game and the least fun for a left-handed hitter to face. This season has only helped his case.

The White Sox ace leads the AL in strikeouts and WHIP and is among the top seven in ERA and opponents batting average. Over the last two months, he has been the most dominant pitcher in all of baseball.

In his 10 of his last 12 starts, Sale has struck out 10 or more batters including eight straight at one point which tied the record set by Pedro Martinez in 1999.

For the year, he is 8-4 with a 2.72 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 157 strikeouts in 119.1 innings. Opponents are hitting just .206 against him.

Next: White Sox top rookie?