Cy Young Award

Honoring top pitchers with yearly honor

   The award for the top pitcher in baseball was introduced in 1956. Originally, only the best pitcher in baseball received the award. However, in 1967, the award was modified to honor the top pitcher in each league.. 

Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers won the inaugural Cy Young Award in 1956. Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves became the first left hander to win the honor in 1957. In 1958, Bob Turley of the New York Yankees became the first American League pitcher to win the honor.

There has only been one six-time winner of the award in the American or National Leagues. Roger Clemens received the honor with Boston (1986, 1987 and 1991), Toronto (1997, 1998) and New York (2001).  Mike Marshall of the Dodgers was the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. Randy Johnson is also a five-time winner, but one of those came in the American League and four in the National.

Fernando Valenzeula of the Dodgers became the only rookie to win the award when he was awarded the Cy Young Award in 1981.

Early Wynn of the Chicago White Sox was the oldest Cy Young winner. Wynn was 39 when he received the award in 1959. Dwight Gooden is the youngest player to win the award. The Mets pitcher was only 20 when he won the award in 1985.

Rick Sutcliffe is the only player to win a Cy Young award after being traded at midseason. Sutcliffe started the 1984 season with the Cleveland Indians before a trade to the Chicago Cubs in June 1984. Prior to the trade, Sutcliffe had a 4-5 record and 5.15 earned run average with the Indians. After the trade, Sutcliffe posted a 16-1 record and a 2.89 earned run average.