Major League Baseball's awards week continues with the Cy Young, which is awarded to the top pitcher in each league as voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
We have some familiar names among the three finalists in each league. That's especially true in the National League, where three previous top four finishers return. Clayton Kershaw, seeking his second straight and third Cy Young overall, is the runaway favorite and the only real drama may be whether or not it's unanimous. As a two-time runner-up to Kershaw, Adam Wainwright may cede that position to Johnny Cueto, who finished fourth in 2012.
The AL race figures to be a little tighter. Felix Hernandez, the 2010 AL Cy Young winner, is the favorite again. Cleveland's Corey Kluber came out of nowhere down the stretch to join the conversation and perhaps even with a few votes. Chris Sale rounds out the group as a first-time finalist. Chances are it won't be his last time.
Those are the names. Here are their stories, stats and cases for winning. The winners will be officially announced Wednesday in an MLB Network special that begins at 6 p.m. ET.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Felix Hernandez — SP, Seattle Mariners
In brief: Hernandez, 28, has one Cy Young award and one runner-up (2008) under his belt. He should be a top two finisher at worst, alongside Corey Kluber, and should have the inside track to win it following perhaps his best season across the board.
Key stats: 15-6, 2.14 ERA. 0.91 WHIP, 236 innings pitched, 248-t0-46 K/BB, 16 HRs allowed, 6.8 WAR, 170 ERA+
Case for: AL ERA champion for the second time and All-Star for the fifth time. Went 4-0 with 2.22 ERA against the Oakland A's. Allowed three earned runs or less in 31 of 34 starts. Strikeout total was a career high.
Case against: That search for a flaw was fruitless.
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Corey Kluber — SP, Cleveland Indians
In brief: With 36 career starts under his belt and a career 4.32 ERA entering the 2014 season, the 28-year-old Kluber wasn't on the radar for a breakout season, let alone a Cy Young campaign. He proved he belonged with a breakout first half and seemed to get stronger and better down the stretch. He's the underdog, which to many makes him the favorite.
Key stats: 18-9, 2.44 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 235.2 innings pitched, 269-t0-51 K/BB, 14 HRs allowed, 7.4 WAR, 152 ERA+
Case for: Kluber led the AL with 18 wins (those still count to some degree) and finished second in strikeouts, just two behind David Price. Finished strong, posting a 1.90 ERA with 142 strikeouts (8.8 per game) over his final 16 starts. Also became the first pitcher ever to face 28 hitters or fewer in back-to-back nine-inning starts.
Case against: Had two starts of five innings or less in April. Also bombed in critical September start against Detroit, allowing three home runs and five runs overall in 2.2 innings.
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Chris Sale — SP, Chicago White Sox
In brief: Sale, in his third season as a full-time starter, was every bit as good as Hernandez and Kluber when healthy. Unfortunately, he missed five weeks between April and May with a left flexor strain and was forced to play catch up all season. His season ERA was under 2.00 (1.99) until a rough start against Kansas City on Sept. 17.
Key stats: 12-4, 2.17 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 174 innings pitched, 208-t0-39 K/BB, 13 HRs allowed, 6.6 WAR, 178 ERA+
Case for: Allowed just 29 earned runs over 20 starts from May 22 to Sept. 11. Pitched at least six innings in 24 out of 26 starts. One of those two was a rain-shortened outing on May 27.
Case against: Just not enough overall innings in the bank to justify selecting him over Hernandez or Kluber.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Johnny Cueto — SP, Cincinnati Reds
In brief: Cueto manages to fly under the radar despite being one of the game's most dynamic arms. Durability is an issue at times, but he was an undeniable workhorse for rookie manager Jim Price. He's a worthy finalist and possibly a favorite to win the award in most seasons.
Key stats: 20-9, 2.25 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 243.2 innings pitched, 242-t0-65 K/BB, 22 HRs allowed, 6.4 WAR, 160 ERA+
Case for: Healthy for a full season, Cueto led the NL in innings pitched and strikeouts (three more than Kershaw). Four complete games and two shutouts contributed to his fourth-best ERA in MLB. .
Case against: Wrong place, wrong time. Cueto posted all-world numbers that are worth comparing to Kershaw's, but the Dodgers' left-hander was on another planet.
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Clayton Kershaw — SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
In brief: Kershaw, 25, is simply the best pitcher in the game, and he has the $300 million contract to back it up. Despite missing five weeks with a back injury to begin the season and getting off to a slow start once healthy, he rebounded to have one the greatest season's ever for a pitcher. How good? Kershaw could become the first NL player to sweep Cy Young and MVP since Bob Gibson in 1968.
Key stats: 21-3, 1.77 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 198.1 innings pitched, 239-t0-31 K/BB, 9 HRs allowed, 7.5 WAR, 197 ERA+

Case for: First pitcher in MLB history to lead the league in ERA four straight seasons. Also led in WHIP for the fourth straight season and ERA+ for the third in a row. Added a no-hitter to his resume that was one error away from being a perfect game. And yes, he did lead the Dodgers to another postseason appearance.
Case against: Some will point to the time missed due to injury, but there's no case against him that supersedes his performance. No pitcher in either league was better than Kershaw.
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Adam Wainwright — SP, St. Louis Cardinals
In brief: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Wainwright, 33, will finish top three in the NL Cy Young for the fourth time in six seasons, but will be an extreme longshot to claim his first award. He also received his third All-Star selection this season.
Key stats: 20-9, 2.38 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 230.1 innings pitched, 179-t0-50 K/BB, 10 HRs allowed, 6.1 WAR, 154 ERA+
Case for: When healthy, Wainwright is as consistently dominant as they come. That proved true again in 2014 as he notched his fourth season of 19 or 20 wins. Also led the NL in home runs allowed per nine innings at 0.4.
Case against: Aside from the Kershaw effect, Wainwright had a rough seven-start stretch beginning on Aug. 1 where he posted a 5.48 ERA. That's enough to put him comfortably below Kershaw and Cueto.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813