Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber Named Cy Young Award Winners
The Nationals' Max Scherzer was named the 2017 National League Cy Young Award winner, and the Indians' Corey Kluber won the American League Cy Young Award.
It's the second consecutive Cy Young for Scherzer and his third overall—he won the 2013 AL Cy Young as a member of the Tigers. Scherzer was 16-4 with a 2.51 ERA, second best in the league, this season, and he led the NL in strikeouts with 268. Along with Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, Scherzer formed one-third of a starting pitching trio that carried the Nationals to a 97-65 season and an NL East title.
Scherzer picked up 27 of 30 possible first-place votes, with Kershaw picking up the other three.
In the playoffs—which are not factored into the Cy Young Award vote—Scherzer pitched well in one game at Wrigley Field but gave up three runs in one inning of relief work in the decisive Game 5, which the Cubs won 9-8.
Scherzer edged out Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers ace who led the NL in ERA (2.31) but missed time with a back injury. Scherzer edged Kershaw in strikeout percentage and pitched 25 more innings.
Scherzer's teammate Stephen Strasburg finished third in the voting. Strasburg missed nearly a month from the second half of July into the middle of August, but he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball after his return. In August, Strasburg posted a 0.86 ERA and had an even better mark, 0.83, for September.
Kluber received 28 of 30 possible first-place votes to pick up his second AL Cy Young in three years as he anchored a pitching staff that helped Cleveland to an AL-best 102-60 record. Kluber led the AL in wins (18), ERA (2.25) and was second in strikeouts (265). Like Scherzer, Kluber's season ended on a sour note, as he gave up nine earned runs in his two outings against the Yankees in the ALDS. Kluber took the loss in the decisive Game 5 after giving up three runs in 3.2 innings. The Yankees went on to win 5-2.
Kluber topped Sale in what turned out to be a two-man race. Sale's strikeout numbers this season were nothing short of historic—he struck out 308 batters in 32 starts en route to becoming the first AL pitcher to strike out at least 300 since Pedro Martinez in 1999—but Sale faltered down the stretch to give Kluber the edge.
The Yankees' Luis Severino finished a distant third in the voting. Severino, who struggled mightily in 2016, bounced back to post a 2.98 ERA and strike out 230 hitters over 193.1 innings.
