The Warren Spahn Award is presented each season by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). The award is named after Warren Spahn, who holds the MLB record in wins for a left-handed pitcher with 363. The Warren Spahn Award was created in 1999 by Richard Hendricks, the founder of the Territorial Capital Sports Museum, formerly the Oklahoma Sports Museum, to honor Spahn, who resided in Oklahoma. The award was formerly presented at the Masonic Temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma until 2009, when the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame was granted ownership of the award, in partnership with the Bricktown Rotary Club. From 2009 to 2019, the award was presented at the annual Warren Spahn Award Gala, hosted by the Bricktown Rotary Club of Oklahoma City. Currently, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame presents each annual award to the winner during season play at their respective team's ballpark.
The award has been won by 15 different pitchers. The winner is chosen based on rankings, which are based on wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. The most recent recipient is Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves. Randy Johnson received the first four awards from 1999 through 2002. He attended the awards ceremony due to his respect for Spahn, who called him personally to ask him to attend. CC Sabathia (2007–2009), Johan Santana (2004, 2006), Clayton Kershaw (2011, 2013, 2014, 2017), and Blake Snell (2018, 2023) are also multiple Warren Spahn Award winners. Johnson (1999–2002), Santana (2004, 2006), Sabathia (2007) and Kershaw (2011, 2013, 2014), and Snell (2018, 2023) also won the Cy Young Award, given annually to the best pitcher in each league, in years they won the Warren Spahn Award. Santana (2004, 2006), Sabathia (2007), Kershaw (2011, 2013, 2014), and Keuchel (2015) won the Pitcher of the Year Award, given annually to the most outstanding pitcher in each league, in years they won the Warren Spahn Award.
There has been one tie-break in the Warren Spahn Award's history, which occurred when Sabathia defeated the Houston Astros' Wandy Rodríguez to earn his third consecutive award in 2009. The tie-break was decided based on winning percentage.
Winners
+KeyYearThe MLB season the award was givenPlayer Denotes winning player and number of times they had won the award at that point (if more than one)WWinsERAEarned run averageKStrikeoutsIndicates player won the Cy Young Award that seasonItalicsIndicates player led MLB in that category Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
+WinnersYearPitcherTeam(s)WERAKRefs Arizona Diamondbacks172.48364 Arizona Diamondbacks192.64347 Arizona Diamondbacks212.49372 Arizona Diamondbacks242.32334New York Yankees214.02180 Minnesota Twins202.61265Florida Marlins222.63180 Minnesota Twins192.77245 Cleveland Indians193.21209 Cleveland Indians / Milwaukee Brewers172.70251 New York Yankees193.37197Tampa Bay Rays192.72188 Los Angeles Dodgers212.28248Washington Nationals212.89207 Los Angeles Dodgers161.83232 Los Angeles Dodgers211.77239 Houston Astros202.48216 Chicago Cubs192.44197 Los Angeles Dodgers182.31202 Tampa Bay Rays211.89221"Blake Snell wins 2018 Warren Spahn Award. MLB.com Retrieved on November 19, 2018."]Washington Nationals143.25238Toronto Blue Jays52.6972Los Angeles Dodgers202.96195 Los Angeles Dodgers172.16166 San Diego Padres142.25234Atlanta Braves182.38225 Detroit Tigers132.21241
See also
Baseball awards
References
External links The Warren Spahn Award