HOUSTON – Astros All-Star right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander has been named the 2022 American League Cy Young Award winner, as announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America tonight on MLB Network.
Verlander won the award by receiving 30 first-place votes for 210 total points. Finishing in second place was White Sox right-handed Dylan Cease while Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Alek Manoah finished in third place.
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This marks the third-career Cy Young Award for Verlander, who also earned the AL Cy Young in 2019 with Houston along with the AL Cy Young and AL MVP Awards in 2011 while with Detroit. It also marks his ninth top-five finish in the Cy Young voting, and his sixth time as a top-two finisher, as he was the AL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2012, 2016 and 2018. Verlander is the 11th pitcher in Major League history to win a Cy Young Award on three different occasions, and is the fourth Astros pitcher to win a Cy Young, joining right-handers Mike Scott (NL,1986) and Roger Clemens (NL, 2004), and left-hander Dallas Keuchel (AL, 2015). Verlander is the first pitcher is franchise history to win the Cy Young Award twice.
.@JustinVerlander on MLBN on time in HOU"It’s been incredible run going back to decision my wife & I made in '17 at 11th hr. Being a part of that has been an incredible feeling. 2 Champ/2 Cy Youngs, if I could have had pen/paper/scripted it not sure I could have done it better.”
— Randy McIlvoy (@KPRC2RandyMc) November 17, 2022
Verlander had a dominant season in 2022, leading the AL in wins (18), ERA (1.75), WHIP (0.83), opponent OPS (.497), opponent average (.186) , opponent slugging percentage (.297) and hits per nine innings (5.97). He finished the season with a 1.75 ERA, which is the lowest posted by an Astros pitcher in a full season in club history, besting Clemens, who worked to a 1.87 ERA in 2005. Additionally, Verlander’s ERA is the lowest posted by an AL pitcher in a full season since Red Sox starter Pedro Martinez had a 1.74 ERA in his Cy Young season of 2000. His ERA was also the third-lowest in the AL since divisional play began in 1969.
The 39-year-old was the ultimate stopper for the Astros this season. In his 12 starts following an Astros loss, he went 9-0 with a 1.11 ERA (9ER/73IP).
Reax from Justin Verlander ( @JustinVerlander ) on @MLBNetwork after winning AL Cy Young Award. 3rd of his career. BTW, #Astros Lefty Framber Valdez had 14 votes and finished 5th.#LevelUp @kprc2 pic.twitter.com/0zmFf2cZgJ
— Randy McIlvoy (@KPRC2RandyMc) November 17, 2022
