What is the Cy Young Award? All about the history, criteria, and past winners

The Cy Young Award is an MLB award given to the best pitchers in the American League and the National League, as voted on by baseball writers, to honor great pitchers with sustained excellence and dominance during the regular season. Winning it is recognition as the most effective pitcher in the game, whether through pure heat, impeccable control, or timely execution.

An award established in honor of the legendary pitcher Denton True "Cy" Young, it has become one of baseball's highest achievements. It has since reflected the evolution of pitching itself: from iron-armed workhorses of yore to aces dissected and measured by today's analytics.

Origins and evolution of the Cy Young Award

One year after the passing of the great Cy Young, Major League Baseball introduced the Cy Young Award to recognize the best pitcher in the game. Initially, just one of these was given each year, covering both leagues. That was 1967, before the leagues had separated, when MLB introduced league-specific awards at the same time because of the sport's broader landscape and competitive balance.


The voting system has changed as well. Over the years, these early ballots sometimes led to ties between candidates, so officials made changes to reduce ambiguity in the results. Currently, the Baseball Writers' Association of America ranks five pitchers per league, using a points system that favors first place over second, third over fourth, and so on. This award is voted on before the postseason starts, so results during the playoffs do not factor into the voting.

Legendary winners and the award’s lasting legacy

The history of the Cy Young Award reads like a timeline of baseball greatness. Sandy Koufax was greatness in the '60s, and then Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton continued that tradition in the next era. Clemens owns the all-time mark with seven Cy Youngs, while Randy Johnson sits in second place with five. Maddux and Johnson are also the only players to win four straight awards, a feat not seen in the modern game.

More recently, Pedro Martínez, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Justin Verlander have continued the art of being dominant while also staying on the mound almost always. The award has also welcomed a new generation, with youth recognized earlier in their careers as analytics point to their influence beyond traditional box scores.


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