WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 11: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Nationals Park on May 11, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Washington Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer and Boston Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello were named the 2016 National League and American League Cy Young Award winners, respectively, on Wednesday.
Scherzer won in a landslide over Chicago Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). He earned first-place votes on 25 out of 30 ballots, along with three second-place votes, one third and one fourth. Lester finished second and Hendricks finished third.
The voting was much closer in the AL, however, as 27-year-old Porcello defeated Detroit Tigers righty Justin Verlander by merely five points, the second closest of any Cy Young Award election since ballots allowed voting for more than one pitcher in 1970. Verlander also finished second in the closest election in 2012, which the Tampa Bay Rays’ David Price won 153-149 in voting.
Porcello received eight first-place votes, 18 second-place votes, two for third and one each for fourth and fifth for a total of 137 points. The Cleveland Indians’ Corey Kluber, who won the Cy Young Award in 2014, finished third with three first-place votes and 98 points in total.
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In his second season with the Nationals, Scherzer, 31, set new career highs for innings pitched (228.1) and strikeouts (284) en route to a 20-7 record and 2.96 ERA. He led the National League in wins, strikeouts, WHIP and WAR this season.
Scherzer has now won the Cy Young in both leagues, having won it in 2013 with the Tigers. He is now the sixth pitcher in MLB history to win the award in both leagues.
Porcello, the only one of the three AL finalists without a Cy Young already on his resume, easily had the best season of his career in 2016.
Porcello posted a record of 22-4 with an ERA of 3.15, both career highs, with his win total the best in the majors. He also set a new career high with 189 strikeouts and tied a career high with three complete games in his second season with the Red Sox.
The BBWAA will wrap up its postseason awards on Thursday when it unveils the MVPs for both leagues.
Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout are the AL MVP finalists while Cubs third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant, Washington Nationals infielder Daniel Murphy and Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager are the NL finalists.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 11: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Nationals Park on May 11, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
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