Talk about a bounce-back season.
Boston Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello was named the American League Cy Young Award winner Wednesday by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, and it’s easy to see why when you look at his 2016 statistics.
Porcello got off to a rough start in Boston with a 9-15 record and 4.92 ERA in 2015, but his 2016 season was a whole different story. He posted a 22-4 record — his 22 wins led Major League Baseball — with a 3.15 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 223 innings.
It was a historically-close vote, as Porcello was the first person to win the AL Cy Young without winning the most first-place votes.
Meanwhile, Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer was named the National League Cy Young Award winner for his outstanding 2016 campaign, and he joined a pretty presigious group in the process.
Scherzer led the NL with 20 wins, 284 strikeouts and 228.1 innings pitched. He also posted an impressive 2.96 ERA in 34 starts. He won 25 out of the 30 first-place votes, and his point total was 192.
Chicago Cubs teammates Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks finished second and third, respectively.
The BBWAA Awards will finish Thursday when the AL and NL MVPs are announced.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
