MLB Cy Young Award 2014: AL and NL Winners, Voting Results and Reaction
The 2014 Major League Baseball awards season continued Wednesday night, with Cy Young Award winners being announced in the National League and American League. Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw captured the honors in the NL, while Cleveland Indians star Corey Kluber won the AL award.
Here are the National League voting results:
| Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers | 30 | - | - | - | - | 210 |
| Johnny Cueto, Reds | - | 23 | 6 | 1 | - | 112 |
| Adam Wainwright, Cardinals | - | 7 | 23 | - | - | 97 |
| Madison Bumgarner, Giants | - | - | - | 13 | 2 | 28 |
| Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals | - | - | 1 | 7 | 8 | 25 |
| Cole Hamels, Phillies | - | - | - | 6 | 5 | 17 |
| Zack Greinke, Dodgers | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Doug Fister, Nationals | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Jake Arrieta, Cubs | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Craig Kimbrel, Braves | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Stephen Strasburg, Nationals | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Henderson Alvarez, Marlins | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
Here are the American League voting results:
| Corey Kluber, Indians | 17 | 11 | 2 | - | - | 169 |
| Felix Hernandez, Mariners | 13 | 17 | - | - | - | 159 |
| Chris Sale, White Sox | - | 2 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 78 |
| Jon Lester, Red Sox/Athletics | - | - | 3 | 15 | 7 | 46 |
| Max Scherzer, Tigers | - | - | 4 | 6 | 8 | 32 |
| David Price, Rays/Tigers | - | - | 2 | 3 | 4 | 16 |
| Phil Hughes, Twins | - | - | - | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Wade Davis, Royals | - | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Greg Holland, Royals | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
To no one's surprise, Kershaw dominated the voting the same way he did opposing hitters in 2014. In case you need a reminder, here's what the Dodgers' superstar did during the season, via the Dodgers' official Twitter:
If you want to put Kershaw's third Cy Young win into historical perspective, Ace of MLB Stats has you covered with this gem:
Speaking on MLB Network after he was declared the Cy Young winner, Kershaw was asked about what motivates him to keep doing what he's doing, via MLB Network PR:
Kershaw had this award wrapped up with two months left in the season, though rules dictate that he must wait until Nov. 12 to collect it. He was historically good in a year with so much dominant starting pitching. It's hard to say someone who already had two Cy Young Awards keeps getting better, but that's what the 26-year-old did in 2014.
Now, Kershaw has to top that in 2015.
The American League race was much tighter with no dominant standout like Kershaw. Corey Kluber, Felix Hernandez and Chris Sale all had compelling cases, which is why the voting results were so close. Just 10 points, or one first-place and one third-place vote, separated Kluber from Hernandez.
As for Kluber's case, his teammate and Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis made a strong argument on Twitter:
Since Kipnis can be accused of having some bias in the outcome of the AL Cy Young vote, ESPN Stats & Info also presented a case for Kluber to be declared the top pitcher:
It's hard to do much better than Pedro Martinez, circa 1999-2000, so Kluber is keeping good company.
Known for a stoic demeanor on the mound and in interviews, Kluber was at the top of his game when asked what he will do to celebrate the win, via MLB Network PR:
While that might not be the traditional celebration for a Cy Young winner, it fits for Kluber. He emerged out of nowhere in 2014 to become one of the best pitchers in the sport and got rewarded for his efforts.
This was the perfect storm of events for both Cy Young awards. If you like dominance rarely seen by any pitcher, Kershaw was the man for you. If you like a tight race between three of the best young pitchers in the sport, Kluber's win over Hernandez and Sale was great television.
