The Cy Young Awards were next for Major League Baseball's award week, with this race not being in anyway clear cut, but the National League side made some history. Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets was named the National League Cy Young Award winner, doing so with a major-league leading 1.70 ERA. Due to a lack of run support, the Mets' ace had just 10 victories this season, which is the lowest for a Cy Young Award winner since Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners in 2010.
Despite the low win total, DeGrom received 29 first-place votes and 207 points overall, beating out Max Schezer of the Washington Nationals, who was the only other pitcher to receive a first-place vote. Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies was also listed as a finalist, but many knew it would be between deGrom and Scherzer, who had won the last two and three of the past four awards.
The 30-year-old Mets' hurler was second in the National League with 217 innings, 269 strikeouts, and a 0.91 WHIP. He gave up just 10 home runs, which was four fewer than any other starter, He made some MLB history with a streak of 29 straight starts allowing three runs or fewer, which is the longest such streak in MLB history. The former ninth-round draft pick started that streak in April, which led to him having a comfortable ERA lead over the second-place Nola at 2.37.
Meanwhile, Blake Snell's breakout season did not go unnoticed, as the Tampa Bay Rays starter was named the American League Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday. Snell went 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA, while holding opposing batters to a .178 batting average. That is the fifth-lowest average in MLB history, and the lowest since Pedro Martinez held hitters to just .167 in 2000 with the Boston Red Sox.
The 25-year-old became the fourth American League starter with an ERA under 2.00 since they added a designated hitter in 1974. Martinez, Rod Guidry, and Roger Clemens were the others to do so in the A.L., with Martinez once again being the last to do so in 2000. Snell also becomes the second Cy Young award winner in Rays' franchise history, as David Price also did it for them in 2012.
Snell earned 17 first-place votes to beat out Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros and Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians. Verlander had the other 13 first-place votes, while Kluber had 71 points overall. Snell had just 180.2 innings pitched, which is the fewest for a Cy Young Award winner in a nonstrike season, according to ESPN. Although, Snell finished the season strong, going 9-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his final 11 regular season starts, putting a bow on his Cy Young campaign.
Despite the low win total, DeGrom received 29 first-place votes and 207 points overall, beating out Max Schezer of the Washington Nationals, who was the only other pitcher to receive a first-place vote. Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies was also listed as a finalist, but many knew it would be between deGrom and Scherzer, who had won the last two and three of the past four awards.
The 30-year-old Mets' hurler was second in the National League with 217 innings, 269 strikeouts, and a 0.91 WHIP. He gave up just 10 home runs, which was four fewer than any other starter, He made some MLB history with a streak of 29 straight starts allowing three runs or fewer, which is the longest such streak in MLB history. The former ninth-round draft pick started that streak in April, which led to him having a comfortable ERA lead over the second-place Nola at 2.37.
Meanwhile, Blake Snell's breakout season did not go unnoticed, as the Tampa Bay Rays starter was named the American League Cy Young Award winner on Wednesday. Snell went 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA, while holding opposing batters to a .178 batting average. That is the fifth-lowest average in MLB history, and the lowest since Pedro Martinez held hitters to just .167 in 2000 with the Boston Red Sox.
The 25-year-old became the fourth American League starter with an ERA under 2.00 since they added a designated hitter in 1974. Martinez, Rod Guidry, and Roger Clemens were the others to do so in the A.L., with Martinez once again being the last to do so in 2000. Snell also becomes the second Cy Young award winner in Rays' franchise history, as David Price also did it for them in 2012.
Snell earned 17 first-place votes to beat out Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros and Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians. Verlander had the other 13 first-place votes, while Kluber had 71 points overall. Snell had just 180.2 innings pitched, which is the fewest for a Cy Young Award winner in a nonstrike season, according to ESPN. Although, Snell finished the season strong, going 9-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his final 11 regular season starts, putting a bow on his Cy Young campaign.
