The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitcher in each of the American and National Leagues. The award was named after Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young. The Cy Young Award was first given out to the best pitcher in the majors, regardless of league. Starting in 1967 two awards were given out, one for each league. Roger Clemens has won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. Randy Johnson has the next most with five. Greg Maddux and Steve Carlton follow with four each. A common Cy Young koan holds that while Greg Maddux has won four Cy Young Awards, Cy Young himself would never have one a single Greg Maddux Award—not that one exists—it is more meant to convey the differences in the game that have occurred since Young played in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The Baseball Writers Association of America selects the winners each year after the World Series. The results are announced in mid-November. The BBWAA voting body is made up of one beat writer for each MLB team.

Year Player Team
1956Don Newcombe
27-7, 3.06, 139K
Brooklyn Dodgers
1957Warren Spahn
21-11, 2.69, 111K
Milwaukee Braves
1958Bob Turley
21-7, 2.97, 168K
New York Yankees
1959Early Wynn
22-10, 3.17, 179K
Chicago White Sox
1960Vernon Law
20-9, 3.08, 120K
Pittsburgh Pirates
1961Whitey Ford
25-4, 3.21, 209K
New York Yankees
1962Don Drysdale
25-9, 2.83, 232K
Los Angeles Dodgers
1963Sandy Koufax
25-5, 1.88, 306K
Los Angeles Dodgers
1964Dean Chance
20-9, 1.65, 207K
Los Angeles Dodgers
1965Sandy Koufax
26-8, 2.04, 382K
Los Angeles Dodgers
1966Sandy Koufax
27-9, 1.73, 317K
Los Angeles Dodgers


Year League Player Team      League Player Team
1967 AL Jim Lonborg
22-9, 3.16, 246K
Boston Red Sox      NL Mike McCormick
22-10, 2.85, 150K
San Francisco Giants
1968 AL Denny McLain
31-6, 1.96, 280K
Detroit Tigers      NL Bob Gibson
22-9, 1.12, 268K
St. Louis Cardinals
1969 AL Denny McLain
24-9, 2.80, 181K

(TIE)

Mike Cuellar
23-11, 2.38, 182K
Detroit Tigers

 

Baltimore Orioles
     NL Tom Seaver
25-7, 2.21, 208K
New York Mets
1970 AL Jim Perry
24-12, 3.04, 168K
Minnesota Twins      NL Bob Gibson
23-7, 3.12, 274K
St. Louis Cardinals
1971 AL Vida Blue
24-8, 1.82, 301K
Oakland Athletics      NL Ferguson Jenkins
24-13, 2.77, 263K
Chicago Cubs
1972 AL Gaylord Perry
24-16, 1.92, 234K
Cleveland Indians      NL Steve Carlton
27-10, 1.97, 310K
Philadelphia Phillies
1973 AL Jim Palmer
22-9, 2.40, 158K
Baltimore Orioles      NL Tom Seaver
19-10, 2.08, 251K
New York Mets
1974 AL Jim "Catfish" Hunter
25-12, 2.49, 143K
Oakland Athletics      NL Mike Marshall
15-12 (21 saves), 2.42, 143K
Los Angeles Dodgers
1975 AL Jim Palmer
23-11, 2.09, 193K
Baltimore Orioles      NL Tom Seaver
22-9, 2.38, 243K
New York Mets
1976 AL Jim Palmer
22-13, 2.51, 159K
Baltimore Orioles      NL Randy Jones
22-14, 2.74, 93K
San Diego Padres
1977 AL Sparky Lyle
13-5 (26 saves), 2.17, 68K
New York Yankees      NL Steve Carlton
23-10, 2.64, 198K
Philadelphia Phillies
1978 AL Ron Guidry
25-3, 1.74, 248K
New York Yankees      NL Gaylord Perry
21-6, 2.73, 154K
San Diego Padres
1979 AL Mike Flanagan
23-9, 3.08, 190K
Baltimore Orioles      NL Bruce Sutter
6-6 (37 saves), 2.22, 110K
Chicago Cubs
1980 AL Steve Stone
25-7, 3.23, 149K
Baltimore Orioles      NL Steve Carlton
24-9, 2.34, 286K
Philadelphia Phillies
1981 AL Rollie Fingers
6-3 (28 saves), 1.04, 61K
Milwaukee Brewers      NL Fernando Valenzuela
13-7, 2.48, 180K
Los Angeles Dodgers
1982 AL Pete Vuckovich
18-6, 3.34, 105K
Milwaukee Brewers      NL Steve Carlton
23-11, 3.10, 286K
Philadelphia Phillies
1983 AL LaMarr Hoyt
24-10, 3.66, 148K
Chicago White Sox      NL John Denny
19-6, 2.37, 139K
Philadelphia Phillies
1984 AL Willie Hernández
9-3 (32 saves), 1.92, 112K
Detroit Tigers      NL Rick Sutcliffe
16-1, 2.69, 155K
Chicago Cubs
1985 AL Bret Saberhagen
20-6, 2.87, 158K
Kansas City Royals      NL Dwight Gooden
24-4, 1.53, 268K
New York Mets
1986 AL Roger Clemens
24-4, 2.48, 238K
Boston Red Sox      NL Mike Scott
18-10, 2.22, 306K
Houston Astros
1987 AL Roger Clemens
20-9, 2.97, 256K
Boston Red Sox      NL Steve Bedrosian
5-3 (40 saves), 2.83, 74K
Philadelphia Phillies
1988 AL Frank Viola
24-7, 2.64, 193K
Minnesota Twins      NL Orel Hershiser
23-8, 2.26, 178K
Los Angeles Dodgers
1989 AL Bret Saberhagen
23-6, 2.16, 193K
Kansas City Royals      NL Mark Davis
4-3 (44 saves), 1.85, 92K
San Diego Padres
1990 AL Bob Welch
27-6, 2.95, 127K
Oakland Athletics      NL Doug Drabek
22-6, 2.76, 131K
Pittsburgh Pirates
1991 AL Roger Clemens
18-10, 2.62, 241K
Boston Red Sox      NL Tom Glavine
20-11, 2.55, 192K
Atlanta Braves
1992 AL Dennis Eckersley
7-1 (51 saves), 1.91, 93K
Oakland Athletics      NL Greg Maddux
20-11, 2.18, 199K
Chicago Cubs
1993 AL Jack McDowell
22-10, 3.37, 158K
Chicago White Sox      NL Greg Maddux
20-10, 2.36, 197K
Atlanta Braves
1994 AL David Cone
16-5, 2.94, 132K
Kansas City Royals      NL Greg Maddux
16-6, 1.56, 156K
Atlanta Braves
1995 AL Randy Johnson
18-2, 2.48, 294K
Seattle Mariners      NL Greg Maddux
19-2, 1.63, 181K
Atlanta Braves
1996 AL Pat Hentgen
20-10, 3.22, 177K
Toronto Blue Jays      NL John Smoltz
24-8, 2.94, 276K
Atlanta Braves
1997 AL Roger Clemens
21-7, 2.05, 292K
Toronto Blue Jays      NL Pedro Martínez
17-8, 1.90, 305K
Montreal Expos
1998 AL Roger Clemens
20-6, 2.65, 271K
Toronto Blue Jays      NL Tom Glavine
20-6, 2.47, 157K
Atlanta Braves
1999 AL Pedro Martínez
23-4, 2.07, 313K
Boston Red Sox      NL Randy Johnson
17-9, 2.48, 364K
Arizona Diamondbacks
2000 AL Pedro Martínez
18-6, 1.74, 284K
Boston Red Sox      NL Randy Johnson
19-7, 2.64, 347K
Arizona Diamondbacks
2001 AL Roger Clemens
20-3, 3.51, 213K
New York Yankees      NL Randy Johnson
21-6, 2.49, 372K
Arizona Diamondbacks
2002 AL Barry Zito
23-5, 2.75, 182K
Oakland Athletics      NL Randy Johnson
24-5, 2.32, 334K
Arizona Diamondbacks
2003 AL Roy Halladay
22-7, 3.25, 204 K
Toronto Blue Jays      NL Eric Gagné
2-3 (55 saves), 1.20, 137K
Los Angeles Dodgers
2004 AL Johan Santana
20-6, 2.61, 265K
Minnesota Twins      NL Roger Clemens
18-4, 2.98, 218K
Houston Astros
2005 AL Bartolo Colón
21-8, 3.48, 157K
Los Angeles Angels      NL Chris Carpenter
21-5, 2.83, 213K
St. Louis Cardinals
2006 AL Johan Santana
19-6, 2.77, 245K
Minnesota Twins      NL Brandon Webb
16-8, 3.10, 178K
Arizona Diamondbacks
2007 AL C.C. Sabathia
19-7, 3.21, 209K
Cleveland Indians      NL Jake Peavy
19-6, 2.54, 240K
San Diego Padres
2008 AL Cliff Lee
22-3, 2.54, 170K
Cleveland Indians      NL Tim Lincecum
18-5, 2.62, 265K
San Francisco Giants
2009 AL Zack Greinke
16-8, 2.16, 242K
Kansas City Royals      NL Tim Lincecum
15-7, 2.48, 261K
San Francisco Giants
2010 AL Felix Hernández
13-12, 2.27, 232K
Seattle Mariners      NL Roy Halladay
21-10, 2.44, 219K
Philadelphia Phillies
2011 AL Justin Verlander
24-5, 2.40, 250K
Detroit Tigers      NL Clayton Kershaw
21-5, 2.28, 248K
Los Angeles Dodgers
2012 AL David Price
20-5, 2.56, 205K
Tampa Bay Rays      NL R.A. Dickey
20-6, 2.73, 230K
New York Mets
2013 AL Max Scherzer
21-3, 2.90, 240K
Detroit Tigers      NL Clayton Kershaw
16-9, 1.83, 232K
Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 AL Corey Kluber
18-9, 2.44, 269K
Cleveland Indians      NL Clayton Kershaw
21-3, 1.77, 239K
Los Angeles Dodgers
2015 AL Dallas Keuchel
20-8, 2.48, 216K
Houston Astros      NL Jake Arrieta
22-6, 1.77, 236K
Chicago Cubs
2016 AL Rick Porcello
22-4, 3.15, 189K
Boston Red Sox      NL Max Scherzer
20-7, 2.96, 284K
Washington Nationals
2017 AL Corey Kluber
18-4, 2.25, 265K
Cleveland Indians      NL Max Scherzer
16-6, 2.51, 268K
Washington Nationals
2018 AL Blake Snell
21-5, 1.89, 221K
Tampa Bay Rays      NL Jacob deGrom
10-9, 1.70, 269K
New York Mets
2019 AL Justin Verlander
21-6, 2.58, 300K
Houston Astros      NL Jacob deGrom
11-8, 2.43, 255K
New York Mets
2020* AL Shane Bieber
8-1, 1.63, 122K
Cleveland Indians      NL Trevor Bauer
5-4, 1.73, 100K
Cincinnati Reds
2021 AL Robbie Ray
13-7, 2.84, 248K
Toronto Blue Jays      NL Corbin Burnes
11-5, 2.43, 234K
Milwaukee Brewers

Bold denotes unanimous winners.

* The 2020 season was shortened to 60 games due to restrictions and closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.