DeGrom, Snell win Cy Young Award
NEW YORK — After a season marred by narrow defeats, Jacob deGrom became a runaway winner.
The Mets’ right-hander won the National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday night, a reward for a historically fruitless season in Flushing. The right-hander had just 10 victories, the fewest ever by a Cy Young-winning starter.
The American League prize also reflected a change in voters’ values, with Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays beating out past winners Justin Verlander and Corey Kluber for his first Cy Young. Snell pitched 1802⁄3 innings, fewest ever by a Cy Young-winning starter. The Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw had held that distinction with 1981⁄3 innings in 2014.
“I feel like it’s just turning more into quality of work and what did you accomplish in those innings,” Snell said. “I think that’s just the way it’s going.”
DeGrom easily beat Washington right-hander Max Scherzer, who was seeking a third straight Cy Young and fourth overall. DeGrom got 29 first-place votes and 207 points from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Scherzer had the other first-place vote.
DeGrom cut down hitters from start to finish despite little help from teammates. He had a 1.70 ERA, the lowest in the NL since Zack Greinke’s 1.66 mark in 2015. Yet deGrom went 10-9, eclipsing the low bar for Cy Young-winning starters of 13 victories set by the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 (a strike-shortened season) and matched by Seattle’s Felix Hernandez in 2010.
DeGrom allowed three runs or fewer in 29 consecutive starts to close the season, breaking Leslie “King” Cole’s 108-yearold record of 26 such outings. Yet the Mets were 11-18 in those games and 14-18 overall with deGrom on the mound.
“My thought process was, ‘Hey, take the ball every fifth day and continue to try to put this team in position to win and control what you can control,’ ” deGrom said.
Snell got 17 first-place votes and 169 points to 13 first-place votes and 154 points for Verlander. Kluber had 71 points, followed by Boston’s Chris Sale and Houston’s Gerrit Cole.
Snell had a 1.89 ERA, third best in the AL since the designated hitter was introduced, trailing only Ron Guidry (1.74) in 1978 and Pedro Martinez (1.74) in 2000. Snell pitched had 331⁄3 fewer innings than did Verlander, but Snell’s dominance was enough to sway the electorate.