Cy Younger Award winners 2022

For the primary time since 1968, the winners of the American League and Nationwide League Cy Younger Awards had been unanimous choices.

The 27-year-old Alcantara logged an MLB-high 228 2/3 innings — the very best complete for any pitcher since Verlander’s 223 in 2019 and the very best within the NL since Clayton Kershaw’s 232 2/3 in 2015. Alcantara’s six full video games had been probably the most in MLB in six years and greater than another group in MLB threw in 2022.

Alcantara’s anomaly of a season noticed him toss eight or extra innings in 14 of his 32 begins and amass 23 2/3 extra innings than his next-closest competitor (the Phillies’ Aaron Nola). However there was high quality to go together with the amount. His ERA (2.28), anticipated ERA (2.92), strikeouts (207) and high quality begins (24) had been all high 5 within the NL.

Curiously, Alcantara stepped up his arsenal within the late innings, giving him the presence of a beginning ace and bullpen anchor, multi function. His 98.6 mph four-seamer within the eighth inning or later was the eighth-highest common velocity in MLB in these innings, his 98.6 mph sinker tied for fourth highest, his 90.5 mph slider was sixth highest and his 92.5 mph changeup was the very best.

A local of the Dominican Republic, Alcantara’s sturdy observe report with the Marlins (3.48 ERA and 122 ERA+ in 78 begins from 2018-21) had attracted solely restricted nationwide consideration previous to 2022. However the younger man with an old-school acceptance of his accountability to pitch deep into video games took his efficiency to one more stage in 2022, and now he’s a family title.

Due to an elbow harm that required Tommy John surgical procedure, Verlander — a winner of this honor in 2011 with the Tigers and 2019 with the Astros — entered 2022 having pitched solely six innings since that ’19 win. He’s now the primary pitcher ever to win the Cy Younger after pitching zero innings the earlier 12 months. The earlier low had been Fernando Valenzuela’s 17 2/3 innings in 1980 earlier than successful the Cy whereas nonetheless a rookie qualifier in 1981.

Solely 10 others have gained this award thrice:

Roger Clemens: 7
Randy Johnson: 5
Steve Carlton: 4
Greg Maddux: 4
Clayton Kershaw: 3
Sandy Koufax: 3
Pedro Martínez: 3
Jim Palmer: 3
Max Scherzer: 3
Tom Seaver: 3

Verlander additionally grew to become the fifth-oldest pitcher to win the Cy Younger (per age on the final day of the common season):

2004 Clemens: 42 years, 60 days
1978 Gaylord Perry: 40 years, 17 days
1959 Early Wynn: 39 years, 267 days
2001 Clemens: 39 years, 64 days
2022 Verlander: 39 years, 227 days

Age proved nothing however a quantity for Verlander, who had an AL-best 18 wins and a Main League-best 1.75 ERA, WHIP (0.83), opponents’ OPS (.497) and opponents’ batting common (.186). The ERA was the bottom by an AL pitcher since Pedro Martinez’s 1.74 mark in 2000, and Verlander’s 220 ERA+ was the very best of his profession, topping his Cy Younger/MVP season with the Tigers in 2011 (172).

No pitcher his age or older had ever returned from Tommy John to be even a reliable starter, not to mention a Cy Younger-winning one. Verlander’s endurance with the rehab course of paid off in a giant method and can pay him much more in his second spherical of free company in as a few years. Verlander is the tenth pitcher to win a Cy Younger heading into free company, with 5 of the earlier 9 (together with final 12 months’s AL winner, Robbie Ray) altering groups. The massive-market Dodgers, Yankees and Mets are amongst Verlander’s rumored suitors.