The AL looks like it will be much trickier when it comes to picking three top contenders for the Cy Young.  I have a trio of guys, however, that I believe have the best potential to pick up the award.  Here they are in order.

1)    Roy Halladay (RHP - TOR)  The Toronto workhorse has already racked up four wins (striking out 32 men to boot).  His ERA (hovering somewhere around four) has been a little high so far, but do not worry.  The Blue Jay lineup has been a run scoring machine in the first few games of the young season.  It looks like this run production is going to translate (if they can keep up the pace) to Halladay enjoying great success in 2009.

2)    Zack Greinke (RHP - KC)  It is hard to argue with a guy who has not given up a run this season coming it at number two, but there are a great deal of question marks about Greinke.  He has been the most dominate pitcher in baseball leading the AL in strikeouts, wins, and ERA.  You have to wonder, though, how long this will last for the Royals starter.  Greinke had a hot start last season too, but floundered along with his team as the season stretched on.  But you never know in Major League Baseball.  Cliff Lee proved a lot of doubters wrong last season.

3)    C.C. Sabathia (LHP - NYY)  I know the big lefty has an ERA around five, but he still makes my list at number three.  It should not be a huge surprise Sabathia looks the way he does at this point in the season.  C.C. is a notoriously slow starter, A-Rod is not in the lineup, and it looks like John Kruk could launch a few into the stands of the new Yankee ballpark.  Many forget the big guy looked even worse at this point last season.  He did, however, go on a monster tear putting himself in the running for the NL MVP.  Sabathia and New York should be fine moving forward.

All these guys have a good shot, but the heavy hitting American League is very unpredictable.  The next player to win the Cy Young Award could be sitting in an AL bullpen, on a minor league roster, or the ace of the next World Series Champs.  That really is the beauty of the Cy Young Award.  From a Pat Hentgen to a Johan Santana, you are never quite sure what you are going to get.