Cy Young Award


The Cy Young Award, officially the Cy Young Memorial Award, is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, one each for the American League and National League. The award was introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford C. 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. Local BBWAA chapter chairmen in each MLB city recommend two writers to vote for each award. Final approval comes from the BBWAA national secretary-treasurer. Writers vote for either the American League or National League awards, depending on the league in which their local team plays. A total of 30 writers vote for each league's awards. Writers cast their votes prior to the start of postseason play.
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. From 1970 to 2009, writers voted for three pitchers, with the formula of five points for a first-place vote, three for a second-place vote and one for a third-place vote. Before 1970, writers only voted for the best pitcher and used a formula of one point per vote.

History

The Cy Young Award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball Ford C. Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955. 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 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. The Dodgers are the franchise with the most Cy Young Awards. 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 recipients were Dwight Gooden and Fernando Valenzuela. In 2012, R. A. Dickey became the first knuckleball pitcher to win the award.
In 1974, Mike Marshall became the first relief pitcher to win the award. In 1992, Dennis Eckersley was the first modern closer to win the award. Since then only one other relief pitcher has won the award, Éric Gagné in 2003. 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
Number of wins by pitchers who have won the award multiple times
*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)

YearPitcherTeamRecordSavesERAKs
*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

American League (1967–present)

National League (1967–present)

YearPitcherTeamRecordSavesERAKs
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
Cincinnati Reds5–401.73100
Milwaukee Brewers11–502.43234
Miami Marlins14–902.28207
Blake Snell San Diego Padres14–902.25234
Chris SaleAtlanta Braves18–302.38225
Paul SkenesPittsburgh Pirates10–1001.97216