The Cy Young Award was Commissioner Ford Frick’s idea to honor the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. Hard lessons were learned by the Chalmers Award earlier in history so the recipients of the Cy Young Award were selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America from the beginning.
During the first eleven years (1956 – 1966), only one winner from Major League Baseball was selected. Immediately after Commissioner Frick retired, the rules were changed to honor the best pitcher from each league.
In the聽Cy Young Award聽vote,聽Jake Arrieta聽of the聽Cubs聽is the winner in the聽Nationals League聽while聽Dallas Keuchel聽does the same in the聽American League. Both pitchers won their respective league’s聽Wild Card Game聽with strong performances, in addition to being dominant in the regular season.
Max Scherzer is selected by the BBWAA as the American League’s Cy Young Award winner, receiving 28 of 30 writers’ first-place votes to finish ahead of Ranger ace Yu Darvish and Mariner starter Hisashi Iwakuma. The 29 year-old Tigers right-hander, who posted a 21-3 record with a 2.90 ERA in 32 starts for the pennant-winning club, joins Justin Verlander (2011), Denny McLain (1968-69), and Willie Hernandez (1984) as the fourth hurler to cop the prestigious pitching prize hurling for Detroit.
In one of the closest races to determine the American League Cy Young Award winner, Rays’ southpaw David Price (20-5, 2.56) outpoints last year’s recipient Tigers ace Justin Verlander (17-8, 2.64) by the slim margin of four points. The difference proves to be the one first-place vote given to the Tampa Bay left-hander’s teammate, closer Fernando Rodney.
Despite an unspectacular 13-12 record, Felix Hernandez is named the American League Cy Young Award winner ahead of Tampa Bay’s David Price (19-6) and New York’s CC Sabathia (21-7). King Felix’s league-leading 2.27 ERA and the lack of run support provided by the last-place Mariners made the Seattle ace an easy choice for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, who placed him first on 21 of the 28 ballots cast.
Cliff Lee聽wins the聽2008 American League Cy Young Award, taking 24 of 28 first-place votes. Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA for the聽Cleveland Indians. He led the league in ERA and wins. Lee is the second straight Indians left-hander to win the award, following聽CC Sabathia聽in聽2007.
Given their postseason match-ups of the CYA candidates, many baseball observers are surprised when CC Sabathia (19-7, 3.21) beats out Red Sox ace Josh Beckett (20-7, 3.27) for the American League Cy Young Award. In the ALCS, the 27 year-old Indian southpaw faced Beckett twice and lost each time, but voting takes place at the end of the regular season.
Los Angeles Angels聽pitcher聽Bartolo Col贸n, who led the聽American League聽with 21 wins, receives the聽Cy Young Award. Col贸n is the second pitcher in Angels history to win the award.聽Dean Chance聽was the winner in聽1964, back when there was one award for the two leagues. Col贸n receives 17 of 28 first-place votes cast and finishes with 118 points.聽Closer聽Mariano Rivera聽of the聽New York Yankees聽finishes second with 8 first-place votes and 68 points, while聽Johan Santana聽of the聽Minnesota Twins, who was the聽2004聽winner, is third with 3 first-place votes and 51 points.
Johan Santana (20-6, 265, 2.61), winning the American League top pitching honor with 28 first-place votes, becomes the 18th unanimous Cy Young winner selected by the BBWAA. The 25 year-old Venezuelan southpaw joins Jim Perry (1970) and Frank Viola (1988) as the only Twin hurlers to earn the award.
A’s southpaw Barry Zito (23-5, 2.75) is selected as the American League Cy Young Award winner by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The 24 year-old sophomore, who led the AL in wins, out points Red Sox right-hander Pedro Martinez, 114 to 96.
2001聽–聽New York Yankees聽pitcher聽Roger Clemens, who posted a 20-3 record with 213 strikeouts and a 3.51 ERA, wins the聽American League Cy Young Award聽for an unprecedented sixth time. Previously, Clemens captured the award with the聽Red Sox聽in聽1986,聽1987聽and聽1991, and the聽Blue Jays聽in聽1997聽and聽1998. He becomes the first Yankees pitcher to win the award since聽1978聽when聽Ron Guidry聽copped the honor. In the聽2004聽season, Clemens will win his seventh Cy Young in the聽National League聽with the聽Houston Astros.
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