Padres' Blake Snell, Yankees' Gerrit Cole take home Cy Young Awards
On Wednesday evening the American League and National League Cy Young awards were handed out to their respective winners. After a season full of changes in favor of the hitter, these two pitchers proved that they could still dominate opposing batters no matter the rule set.
Here are the Cy Young award recipients in 2023.
National League Cy Young Award: Blake Snell, San Diego Padres, pitcher
2023 stats: 14-9, 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 234 SO in 180 innings pitched
Becoming only the seventh player in MLB history to win both the AL and NL Cy Young Awards, the 30-year-old Snell was dominant on the mound in 2023.
After a season in which he not only led the MLB in both ERA and H/9, he also led the league in walks allowed. Even with all of the free bases issued by Snell, they rarely came back to hurt him as he was a strikeout machine with opposing hitters unable to make clean contact against him.
Snell was also lights-out post-All-Star break, going 8-2 with a 1.54 ERA and striking out 102 hitters in 82 innings pitched.
Heading into free agency with a second Cy Young and having shown teams that he can stay healthy, Snell is primed to land a big payday this offseason and will have plenty of big-market suitors waiting to sign him.
American League Cy Young Award: Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees, pitcher
2023 stats: 15-4, 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 222 SO in 209 innings pitched
Joining the Yankees after the 2019 season, Cole has finished in the top 10 of the Cy Young voting every year since 2018, and in 2023 he finally captured the elusive award.
The AL leader in multiple categories including ERA, WHIP, innings pitched and shutouts, Cole had one of the best seasons by a pitcher in recent Yankees history.
A year removed from leading the AL in home runs allowed with 33 in 2022, Cole was able to cut down on the long ball drastically in 2023, allowing only 20.
The 33-year-old right-hander has shown he hasn't started slowing down yet and will look to repeat as Cy Young award winner in 2024, as the Yankees head into next year with much to prove.
Considered one of the best pitchers of his generation, Cole continues to add to his resume that will likely end with a gold plaque in the Hall of Fame.
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