Cy Young Award


The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, one each for the American League and National League. The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955. The award was originally given to the single best pitcher in the major leagues, but in 1967, after the retirement of Frick, the award was given to one pitcher in each league.
Each league's award is voted on by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, with one representative from each team. As of the 2010 season, each voter places a vote for first, second, third, fourth and fifth place among the pitchers of each league. The formula used to calculate the final scores is a weighted sum of the votes. The pitcher with the highest score in each league wins the award. If two pitchers receive the same number of votes, the award is shared. The current formula started in the 2010 season. Before that, dating back to 1970, writers voted for three pitchers, with the formula of 5 points for a first place vote, 3 for a second place vote and 1 for a third place vote. Prior to 1970, writers only voted for the best pitcher and used a formula of one point per vote.

History

The Cy Young Award was first introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball Ford C. Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955. The award would be given to pitchers only. Originally given to the single best pitcher in the major leagues, the award changed its format over time. From 1956 to 1966, the award was given to one pitcher in Major League Baseball. After Frick retired in 1967, William Eckert became the new Commissioner of Baseball. Due to fan requests, Eckert announced that the Cy Young Award would be given out both in the American League and the National League. From 1956 to 1958, a pitcher was not allowed to win the award on more than one occasion; this rule was eliminated in 1959. After a tie in the 1969 voting for the Cy Young Award, the process was changed, in which each writer was to vote for three different pitchers: the first-place vote received five points, the second-place vote received three points, and the third-place vote received one point.
The first recipient of the Cy Young Award was Don Newcombe of the Dodgers. In 1957, Warren Spahn became the first left-handed pitcher to win the award. In 1963, Sandy Koufax became the first pitcher to win the award in a unanimous vote; two years later he became the first multiple winner. In 1978, Gaylord Perry became the oldest pitcher to receive the award, a record that stood until broken in 2004 by Roger Clemens. The youngest recipient was Dwight Gooden. In 2012, R.A. Dickey became the first knuckleball pitcher to win the award.
In 1974, Mike Marshall won the award, becoming the first relief pitcher to win the award. In 1992, Dennis Eckersley was the first modern closer to win the award, and since then only one other relief pitcher has won the award, Éric Gagné in 2003. A total of nine relief pitchers have won the Cy Young Award across both leagues.
Steve Carlton in 1982 became the first pitcher to win more than three Cy Young Awards, while Greg Maddux in 1994 became the first to win at least three in a row, a feat later repeated by Randy Johnson.

Winners

YearEach year is linked to an article about that Major League Baseball season.
ERAEarned run average
*Also named Most Valuable Player
**Also named Rookie of the Year
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Major Leagues combined (1956–1966)

YearPitcherTeamRecordSavesERAK's
*Brooklyn Dodgers 27–703.06139
Milwaukee Braves 21–1132.69111
New York Yankees 21–712.97168
Chicago White Sox 22–1003.17179
Pittsburgh Pirates 20–903.08120
New York Yankees 25–403.21209
Los Angeles Dodgers 25–912.84232
*Los Angeles Dodgers 25–501.88306
Los Angeles Angels 20–941.65207
Los Angeles Dodgers 26–822.04382
Los Angeles Dodgers 27–901.73317

National League (1967–present)

YearPitcherTeamRecordSavesERAK's
San Francisco Giants22–1002.85150
*St. Louis Cardinals22–901.12268
New York Mets25–702.21208
St. Louis Cardinals23–703.12274
Chicago Cubs24–1302.77263
Philadelphia Phillies27–1001.98310
New York Mets19–1002.08251
Los Angeles Dodgers15–12212.42143
New York Mets22–902.38243
San Diego Padres22–1402.7493
Philadelphia Phillies23–1002.64198
San Diego Padres21–602.73154
Chicago Cubs6–6372.22110
Philadelphia Phillies24–902.34286
**Los Angeles Dodgers13–702.48180
Philadelphia Phillies23–1103.11286
Philadelphia Phillies19–602.37139
Chicago Cubs16–102.69155
New York Mets24–401.53268
Houston Astros18–1002.22306
Philadelphia Phillies5–3402.8374
Los Angeles Dodgers23–812.26178
San Diego Padres4–3441.8592
Pittsburgh Pirates22–602.76131
Atlanta Braves20–1102.55192
Chicago Cubs20–1102.18199
Atlanta Braves20–1002.36197
Atlanta Braves16–601.56156
Atlanta Braves19–201.63181
Atlanta Braves24–802.94276
Montreal Expos17–801.90305
Atlanta Braves20–602.47157
Arizona Diamondbacks17–902.49364
Arizona Diamondbacks19–702.64347
Arizona Diamondbacks21–602.49372
Arizona Diamondbacks24–502.32334
Los Angeles Dodgers2–3551.20137
Houston Astros18–402.98218
St. Louis Cardinals21–502.83213
Arizona Diamondbacks16–803.10178
San Diego Padres19–602.54240
San Francisco Giants18–502.62265
San Francisco Giants15–702.48261
Philadelphia Phillies21–1002.44219
Los Angeles Dodgers21–502.28248
New York Mets20–602.73230
Los Angeles Dodgers16–901.83232
*Los Angeles Dodgers21–301.77239
Chicago Cubs22–601.77236
Washington Nationals20–702.96284
Washington Nationals16–602.51268
New York Mets10–901.70269
New York Mets11–802.43255

American League (1967–present)

YearPitcherTeamRecordSavesERAK's
Boston Red Sox22–903.16246
*Detroit Tigers31–601.96280
Baltimore Orioles23–1102.38182
Detroit Tigers24–902.80181
Minnesota Twins24–1203.04168
*Oakland Athletics24–801.82301
Cleveland Indians24–1611.92234
Baltimore Orioles22–912.40168
Oakland Athletics25–1202.49143
Baltimore Orioles23–1112.09193
Baltimore Orioles22–1302.51159
New York Yankees13–5262.1768
New York Yankees25–301.74248
Baltimore Orioles23–903.08190
Baltimore Orioles25–703.23149
*Milwaukee Brewers6–3281.0461
Milwaukee Brewers18–603.34105
Chicago White Sox24–1003.66148
*Detroit Tigers9–3321.92112
Kansas City Royals20–602.87158
*Boston Red Sox24–402.48238
Boston Red Sox20–902.97256
Minnesota Twins24–702.64193
Kansas City Royals23–602.16193
Oakland Athletics27–602.95127
Boston Red Sox18–1002.62241
*Oakland Athletics7–1511.9193
Chicago White Sox22–1003.37158
Kansas City Royals16–502.94132
Seattle Mariners18–202.48294
Toronto Blue Jays20–1003.22177
Toronto Blue Jays21–702.05292
Toronto Blue Jays20–602.65271
Boston Red Sox23–402.07313
Boston Red Sox18–601.74284
New York Yankees20–303.51213
Oakland Athletics23–502.75182
Toronto Blue Jays22–703.25204
Minnesota Twins20–602.61265
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim21–803.48157
Minnesota Twins19–602.77265
Cleveland Indians19–703.21209
Cleveland Indians22–302.54170
Kansas City Royals16–802.16242
Seattle Mariners13–1202.27232
*Detroit Tigers24–502.40250
Tampa Bay Rays20–502.56205
Detroit Tigers21–302.90240
Cleveland Indians18–902.44269
Houston Astros20–802.48216
Boston Red Sox22–403.15189
Cleveland Indians18–402.25265
Tampa Bay Rays21–501.89221
Houston Astros21–602.58300

Multiple winners

Twenty one pitchers have won the award multiple times. Roger Clemens currently holds the record for the most awards won, with seven - his first and last wins separated by eighteen years. Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson share the record for the most consecutive awards won. Clemens, Johnson, Pedro Martínez, Gaylord Perry, Roy Halladay and Max Scherzer are the only pitchers to have won the award in both the American League and National League; Sandy Koufax is the only pitcher who won multiple awards during the period when only one award was presented for all of Major League Baseball. Roger Clemens was the youngest pitcher to win a second Cy Young Award, while Tim Lincecum is the youngest pitcher to do so in the National League and Clayton Kershaw is the youngest left-hander to do so. Clayton Kershaw is the youngest pitcher to win a third Cy Young Award.
Pitcher# of AwardsYears
71986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004
51995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
4
1972, 1977, 1980, 1982
4
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
3
2011, 2013, 2014
3
1963, 1965, 1966
3
1997, 1999, 2000
3
1973, 1975, 1976
3
1969, 1973, 1975
3
2013, 2016, 2017
2
2018, 2019
2
1968, 1970
2
1991, 1998
2
2003, 2010
2
2014, 2017
2
2008, 2009
2
1968, 1969
2
1972, 1978
2
1985, 1989
2
2004, 2006
2
2011, 2019

Wins by teams

Only four teams have never had a pitcher win the Cy Young Award. The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have won more than any other team with 12.
Team# of AwardsYears
Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers121956, 1962–1963, 1965–1966, 1974, 1981, 1988, 2003, 2011, 2013–2014
Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves71957, 1991, 1993–1996, 1998
Philadelphia Phillies71972, 1977, 1980, 1982–1983, 1987, 2010
Boston Red Sox71967, 1986–1987, 1991, 1999–2000, 2016
New York Mets71969, 1973, 1975, 1985, 2012, 2018-2019
Baltimore Orioles61969, 1973, 1975–1976, 1979–1980
Arizona Diamondbacks51999–2002, 2006
Detroit Tigers51968–1969, 1984, 2011, 2013
New York Yankees51958, 1961, 1977–1978, 2001
Oakland Athletics51971, 1974, 1990, 1992, 2002
Chicago Cubs51971, 1979, 1984, 1992, 2015
Cleveland Indians51972, 2007–2008, 2014, 2017
Kansas City Royals41985, 1989, 1994, 2009
Minnesota Twins41970, 1988, 2004, 2006
San Diego Padres41976, 1978, 1989, 2007
Toronto Blue Jays41996–1998, 2003
Houston Astros41986, 2004, 2015, 2019
Chicago White Sox31959, 1983, 1993
San Francisco Giants31967, 2008–2009
St. Louis Cardinals31968, 1970, 2005
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals31997, 2016–2017
Los Angeles Angels21964, 2005
Milwaukee Brewers21981–1982
Pittsburgh Pirates21960, 1990
Seattle Mariners21995, 2010
Tampa Bay Rays22012, 2018
Cincinnati Reds0none
Colorado Rockies0none
Miami Marlins0none
Texas Rangers0none

Unanimous winners

There have been 17 players who unanimously won the Cy Young Award, for a total of 23 wins.
Five of these unanimous wins were accompanied with a win of the Most Valuable Player award.
In the National League, 11 players have unanimously won the Cy Young Award, for a total of 14 wins.
In the American League, 6 players have unanimously won the Cy Young Award, for a total of 9 wins.