In the first half of the 2012 season, Chicago White Sox lefty Chris Sale was as dominant as any pitcher in baseball. He went into the All-Star break with an ERA of 2.19 and an opponent's batting average under .200.
Sale has been a different pitcher thus far in the second half, and not in a good way. His velocity is down, his stuff is flat and he hasn't missed many bats. In three starts since the break, he's seen his numbers take a hike.
As a result, Sale has gone from being an AL Cy Young favorite to being a guy on the fringe of the race.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Rays lefty David Price has been one of baseball's hottest pitchers for over a month at this point. He nearly won the Cy Young award in 2010, and he's making another strong run at it this season.
Scroll ahead to see where Sale and Price rank in this week's AL Cy Young rankings.
Note: All stats are as of the start of play on Tuesday, July 31, and they come from Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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