Cy Young Award

The Cy Young Award, officially the Cy Young Memorial Award, is given to the most outstanding pitcher in each league of Major League Baseball. The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner Ford Frick and approved by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The award is named in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young who died a year earlier in 1955.

History

The award was originally shared between the American and National Leagues. In 1967, two years after Frick retired as Commissioner, the award was given to one pitcher in each league.

Roger Clemens has won the award the most times with seven, Randy Johnson has won it five times, and Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux have each won it four times. Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay and Max Scherzer have won the award in both leagues. Perry and his brother Jim are the only brothers to win the award. Jim won it in 1970 while Gaylord won it twice, in 1972 and 1978.

Awarding

The award is voted on by 28 members of the BBWAA (one from each Major League city). The award has used since 1970 a weighted score system. At that time, voters cast a vote for first, second, and third place among the pitchers of each league. In 2010, they began to vote for 5 pitchers in each league. A formula is used to calculate the final scores of each pitcher, where:

Score = 7 * (number of first place votes) + 5 * (number of second place votes) + 3 * (number of third place votes) + 2 * (number of fourth place votes) + (number of fifth place 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, however this has not occured since the current system was put into place.

Previously a one point per vote system was used but the system was scrapped after Denny McLain and Mike Cuellar tied for the American League award in 1969.

Award Winners

BOLD indicates unanimous selection

Single Award (1956-1966)

Year voting totals	Player	Team (League)	Record	Saves	ERA
1956 MLB	Don Newcombe	Brooklyn Dodgers (NL)	27-7	0	3.06
1957 MLB	Warren Spahn	Milwaukee Braves (NL)	21-11	3	2.69
1958 MLB	Bob Turley	New York Yankees (AL)	21-7	1	2.97
1959 MLB	Early Wynn	Chicago White Sox (AL)	22-10	0	3.17
1960 MLB	Vern Law	Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)	20-9	0	3.08
1961 MLB	Whitey Ford	New York Yankees (AL)	25-4	0	3.21
1962 MLB	Don Drysdale	Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)	25-9	1	2.84
1963 MLB	Sandy Koufax	Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)	25-5	0	1.88
1964 MLB	Dean Chance	Los Angeles Angels (AL)	20-9	4	1.65
1965 MLB	Sandy Koufax	Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)	26-8	2	2.04
1966 MLB	Sandy Koufax	Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)	27-9	0	1.73

League Awards (1967-present)

Year voting totals		American League						National League
		Player	Team	Record	Saves	ERA		Player	Team	Record	Saves	ERA
1967 AL NL		Jim Lonborg	Boston Red Sox	22-9	0	3.16		Mike McCormick	San Francisco Giants	22-10	0	2.85
1968 AL NL		Denny McLain	Detroit Tigers	31-6	0	1.96		Bob Gibson	St. Louis Cardinals	22-9	0	1.12
1969 AL NL		Mike Cuellar Denny McLain	Baltimore Orioles Detroit Tigers	23-11 24-9	0 0	2.38 2.80		Tom Seaver	New York Mets	25-7	0	2.21
1970 AL NL		Jim Perry	Minnesota Twins	24-12	0	3.04		Bob Gibson	St. Louis Cardinals	23-7	0	3.12
1971 AL NL		Vida Blue	Oakland Athletics	24-8	0	1.82		Ferguson Jenkins	Chicago Cubs	24-13	0	2.77
1972 AL NL		Gaylord Perry	Cleveland Indians	24-16	1	1.92		Steve Carlton	Philadelphia Phillies	27-10	0	1.98
1973 AL NL		Jim Palmer	Baltimore Orioles	22-9	1	2.40		Tom Seaver	New York Mets	19-10	0	2.08
1974 AL NL		Catfish Hunter	Oakland Athletics	25-12	0	2.49		Mike Marshall	Los Angeles Dodgers	15-12	21	2.42
1975 AL NL		Jim Palmer	Baltimore Orioles	23-11	1	2.09		Tom Seaver	New York Mets	22-9	0	2.38
1976 AL NL		Jim Palmer	Baltimore Orioles	22-13	0	2.51		Randy Jones	San Diego Padres	22-14	0	2.74
1977 AL NL		Sparky Lyle	New York Yankees	13-5	26	2.17		Steve Carlton	Philadelphia Phillies	23-10	0	2.64
1978 AL NL		Ron Guidry	New York Yankees	25-3	0	1.74		Gaylord Perry	San Diego Padres	21-6	0	2.73
1979 AL NL		Mike Flanagan	Baltimore Orioles	23-9	0	3.08		Bruce Sutter	Chicago Cubs	6-6	37	2.22
1980 AL NL		Steve Stone	Baltimore Orioles	25-7	0	3.23		Steve Carlton	Philadelphia Phillies	24-9	0	2.34
1981 AL NL		Rollie Fingers	Milwaukee Brewers	6-3	28	1.04		Fernando Valenzuela	Los Angeles Dodgers	13-7	0	2.48
1982 AL NL		Pete Vuckovich	Milwaukee Brewers	18-6	0	3.34		Steve Carlton	Philadelphia Phillies	23-11	0	3.11
1983 AL NL		La Marr Hoyt	Chicago White Sox	24-10	0	3.66		John Denny	Philadelphia Phillies	19-6	0	2.37
1984 AL NL		Willie Hernandez	Detroit Tigers	9-3	32	1.92		Rick Sutcliffe *	Chicago Cubs	20-6	0	3.64
1985 AL NL		Bret Saberhagen	Kansas City Royals	20-6	0	2.87		Dwight Gooden	New York Mets	24-4	0	1.53
1986 AL NL		Roger Clemens	Boston Red Sox	24-4	0	2.48		Mike Scott	Houston Astros	18-10	0	2.22
1987 AL NL		Roger Clemens	Boston Red Sox	20-9	0	2.97		Steve Bedrosian	Philadelphia Phillies	5-3	40	2.83
1988 AL NL		Frank Viola	Minnesota Twins	24-7	0	2.64		Orel Hershiser	Los Angeles Dodgers	23-8	1	2.26
1989 AL NL		Bret Saberhagen	Kansas City Royals	23-6	0	2.16		Mark Davis	San Diego Padres	4-3	44	1.85
1990 AL NL		Bob Welch	Oakland Athletics	27-6	0	2.95		Doug Drabek	Pittsburgh Pirates	22-6	0	2.76
1991 AL NL		Roger Clemens	Boston Red Sox	18-10	0	2.62		Tom Glavine	Atlanta Braves	20-11	0	2.55
1992 AL NL		Dennis Eckersley	Oakland Athletics	7-1	51	1.91		Greg Maddux	Chicago Cubs	20-11	0	2.18
1993 AL NL		Jack McDowell	Chicago White Sox	22-10	0	3.37		Greg Maddux	Atlanta Braves	20-10	0	2.36
1994 AL NL		David Cone	Kansas City Royals	16-5	0	2.94		Greg Maddux	Atlanta Braves	16-6	0	1.56
1995 AL NL		Randy Johnson	Seattle Mariners	18-2	0	2.48		Greg Maddux	Atlanta Braves	19-2	0	1.63
1996 AL NL		Pat Hentgen	Toronto Blue Jays	20-10	0	3.22		John Smoltz	Atlanta Braves	24-8	0	2.95
1997 AL NL		Roger Clemens	Toronto Blue Jays	21-7	0	2.05		Pedro Martínez	Montreal Expos	17-8	0	1.90
1998 AL NL		Roger Clemens	Toronto Blue Jays	20-6	0	2.65		Tom Glavine	Atlanta Braves	20-6	0	2.47
1999 AL NL		Pedro Martínez	Boston Red Sox	23-4	0	2.07		Randy Johnson	Arizona Diamondbacks	17-9	0	2.49
2000 AL NL		Pedro Martínez	Boston Red Sox	18-6	0	1.74		Randy Johnson	Arizona Diamondbacks	19-7	0	2.64
2001 AL NL		Roger Clemens	New York Yankees	20-3	0	3.51		Randy Johnson	Arizona Diamondbacks	21-6	0	2.49
2002 AL NL		Barry Zito	Oakland Athletics	23-5	0	2.75		Randy Johnson	Arizona Diamondbacks	24-5	0	2.32
2003 AL NL		Roy Halladay	Toronto Blue Jays	22-7	0	3.25		Eric Gagne	Los Angeles Dodgers	2-3	55	1.20
2004 AL NL		Johan Santana	Minnesota Twins	20-6	0	2.61		Roger Clemens	Houston Astros	18-4	0	2.98
2005 AL NL		Bartolo Colón	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	21-8	0	3.48		Chris Carpenter	St. Louis Cardinals	21-5	0	2.83
2006 AL NL		Johan Santana	Minnesota Twins	19-6	0	2.77		Brandon Webb	Arizona Diamondbacks	16-8	0	3.10
2007 AL NL		C.C. Sabathia	Cleveland Indians	19-7	0	3.21		Jake Peavy	San Diego Padres	19-6	0	2.54
2008 AL NL		Cliff Lee	Cleveland Indians	22-3	0	2.54		Tim Lincecum	San Francisco Giants	18-5	0	2.62
2009 AL NL		Zack Greinke	Kansas City Royals	16-8	0	2.16		Tim Lincecum	San Francisco Giants	15-7	0	2.48
2010 AL NL		Felix Hernandez	Seattle Mariners	13-12	0	2.27		Roy Halladay	Philadelphia Phillies	21-10	0	2.44
2011 AL NL		Justin Verlander	Detroit Tigers	24-5	0	2.40		Clayton Kershaw	Los Angeles Dodgers	21-5	0	2.28
2012 AL NL		David Price	Tampa Bay Rays	20-5	0	2.56		R.A. Dickey	New York Mets	20-6	0	2.73
2013 AL NL		Max Scherzer	Detroit Tigers	21-3	0	2.90		Clayton Kershaw	Los Angeles Dodgers	16-9	0	1.83
2014 AL NL		Corey Kluber	Cleveland Indians	18-9	0	2.44		Clayton Kershaw	Los Angeles Dodgers	21-3	0	1.77
2015 AL NL		Dallas Keuchel	Houston Astros	20-8	0	2.48		Jake Arrieta	Chicago Cubs	22-6	0	1.77
2016 AL NL		Rick Porcello	Boston Red Sox	22-4	0	3.15		Max Scherzer	Washington Nationals	20-7	0	2.96
2017 AL NL		Corey Kluber	Cleveland Indians	18-4	0	2.25		Max Scherzer	Washington Nationals	16-6	0	2.51
2018 AL NL		Blake Snell	Tampa Bay Rays	21-5	0	1.89		Jacob deGrom	New York Mets	10-9	0	1.70
2019 AL NL		Justin Verlander	Houston Astros	21-6	0	2.58		Jacob deGrom	New York Mets	11-8	0	2.43
2020 AL NL		Shane Bieber	Cleveland Indians	8-1	0	1.63		Trevor Bauer	Cincinnato Reds	5-4	0	1.73
2021 AL NL		Robbie Ray	Toronto Blue Jays	13-7	0	2.84		Corbin Burnes	Milwaukee Brewers	11-5	0	2.43
2022 AL NL		Justin Verlander	Houston Astros	18-4	0	1.75		Sandy Alcantara	Miami Marlins	14-9	0	2.28
2023 AL NL		Gerrit Cole	New York Yankees	15-4	0	2.63		Blake Snell	San Diego Padres	14-9	0	2.25

*: Sutcliffe was traded mid-season on June 13. He went 4-5 with a 5.15 ERA with the Cleveland Indians before being traded to the Chicago Cubs where he went 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA to finish the season.

Further Reading

• David Adler: "Pitchers with the most Cy Young Awards", mlb.com, February 3, 2022. [1]
• Ben Alter: "The Relationship Between WAR and the Selection of Annual Performance-Based Awards", Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Vol. 52 Number 1 (Spring 2023), pp. 59-63.
• Monte Cely: "The Cy Young Award: Individual or Team Recognition ?", in The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 35, 2007, pp. 48-53.
• Monte Cely: "Bullpen Cy Young Awards: When and Why Do Relievers Win It?", in The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 37, 2008, pp. 95-100.
• Sarah Langs: "Does winning MVP, Cy clear path to Cooperstown?", mlb.com, June 16, 2020. [2]
• Sarah Langs: "Here's when a Cy Young win leads to a trade: 23 years ago, the Rocket became a Yankee", mlb.com, February 17, 2022. [3]
• Sarah Langs: "Pitchers to win Cy in 1st year with a new club", mlb.com, February 24, 2022. [4]
• Andrew Simon: "Ranking every Cy Young Award season", mlb.com, November 14, 2018. [5]
• Doug Wedge: Pinnacle on the Mound: Cy Young Award Winners Talk Baseball, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 2022. ISBN 978-1-5381-5481-6

Related Sites

• BR's Cy Young Award Winners Page