The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award

The Sporting News established the Pitcher of the Year Award in 1944 to recognize the most outstanding pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB). It was given annually (except in 1946 and 1947) to one pitcher each in the American League and National League. In 2013, the Pitcher of the Year Award was split into the Starting Pitcher of the Year Award and Relief Pitcher of the Year Award, which are given annually to a starting pitcher and relief pitchers in each league, as judged by The Sporting News baseball experts.

History By the Second World War, The Sporting News, had been giving Player of the Year and Manager of the Year awards since 1936, and an annual Most Valuable Player Award since 1929. In 1944, The Sporting News inaugurated its Pitcher of the Year Award, which has been given each year since to the most outstanding pitcher in each league, with a brief hiatus from 1946 to 1947. Beginning in 2013, Sporting News issues two awards per league—one to the most outstanding starting pitcher, and one to the most outstanding reliever.

This award was established before there was a Cy Young Award, MLB's official honor for the best pitcher in each league. The Cy Young Award is voted by baseball writers from each city, and critics claim that the writers who follow a particular team or player throughout a season are naturally inclined to vote for him.

Three knuckleball pitchers have won the award: Joe Niekro, Wilbur Wood and R. A. Dickey.

Award firsts AccomplishmentAmerican LeagueNational LeagueRef.PlayerAgeYearPlayerAgeYear First winner 23 25 First two-time winner 2429 First three-time winner 34 37 First four-time winner 36 40 First five-time winner 39 First to win two consecutive 24 37 First to win three consecutive 29 First to win four consecutive 30 First to win in both leagues 22 29 Youngest winner 22 20

In 1946, Hal Newhouser (W-L: 26–9, ERA: 1.94, Ks: 275) could have narrowly won the award or tied with Bob Feller (W-L: 26–15, ERA: 2.18, Ks: 348) based upon his statistics. It would have been Newhouser's third consecutive win, a feat not yet accomplished by an American League pitcher; however, Sporting News did not issue the award in 1946 or 1947.

In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela won three The Sporting News awards: Pitcher of the Year, Rookie Pitcher of the Year, and Player of the Year.

Winners Key *Also named SN Player of the Year**Also named SN Rookie Pitcher of the year Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and MuseumMajor League Pitching Triple CrownTriple Crown Baseball – Led Majors in Wins, Strikeouts and ERA.Indicates player won the Warren Spahn Award that season.Player is activeItalicsIndicates player led the National or American League in Wins, Strikeouts, ERA or Saves.ItalicsIndicates player led the Major League in Wins, Strikeouts, ERA or Saves.

American League Listed below in reverse chronological order are the American League pitchers chosen by Sporting News as recipients of the Pitcher of the Year Award.

American League starting pitchers

YearPitcherTeamRecordERAKReferences Detroit Tigers2.21241 Detroit Tigers2.39228 New York Yankees2.63222 Houston Astros18-41.75185 New York Yankees3.232431.63122 Houston Astros2.50326 Boston Red Sox2.11237 Boston Red Sox2.90308 3.14227 Houston Astros2.48216 Seattle Mariners2.14248 Detroit Tigers2.90240

American League relief pitchers

YearPitchersTeamRecordERASavesReferencesBoston Red Sox1,1732Cleveland Guardians0.6147Baltimore Orioles1.4833Cleveland Guardians1.3642 Chicago White Sox2.5438 1.7814 1.8025 Seattle Mariners1.9657 Boston Red Sox1.4335 Baltimore Orioles0.5447 New York Yankees1.509 New York Yankees1.401Kansas City Royals1.2147

American League pitchers

YearPitcherTeamRecordERAKReferences Detroit Tigers17–82.64239Tampa Bay Rays20–52.56205* Detroit Tigers24–52.40250 Seattle Mariners13–122.27232 Kansas City Royals16–82.1624222–32.54170 19–73.21209 Minnesota Twins19–62.7724521–83.48157 Minnesota Twins20–62.61265 Toronto Blue Jays22–73.2520423–52.75182 New York Yankees20–33.51213 Boston Red Sox18–61.74284 Boston Red Sox23–42.07313 Toronto Blue Jays20–62.65271 Toronto Blue Jays21–72.05292Toronto Blue Jays20–103.22177 Seattle Mariners18–22.48294 New York Yankees17–42.48177Chicago White Sox22–103.37158 7–11.9193 Boston Red Sox18–102.6224127–62.95127 Kansas City Royals23–62.16193Minnesota Twins24–72.64193 Toronto Blue Jays17–82.76161* Boston Red Sox24–42.48238 Kansas City Royals20–62.87143Detroit Tigers9–31.92112Chicago White Sox24–103.66148Toronto Blue Jays17–143.25138 Detroit Tigers14–73.0597Baltimore Orioles25–73.23149Baltimore Orioles23–93.08190*New York Yankees25–31.74248 19–162.77341 Baltimore Orioles22–132.51159 Baltimore Orioles23–112.09193 25–122.49143 Baltimore Orioles22–92.40158 Chicago White Sox24–172.51193 24–81.8230120–122.92304 Detroit Tigers24–92.80181* Detroit Tigers31–61.96280Boston Red Sox22–93.16246 Minnesota Twins25–132.75205Minnesota Twins21–73.30142Los Angeles Angels20–91.65207 New York Yankees24–72.7418920–103.5994 New York Yankees25–43.21209Baltimore Orioles18–113.58144* Chicago White Sox22–103.17179*New York Yankees21–72.97168 Chicago White Sox20–123.26171 Chicago White Sox20–93.32192 New York Yankees18–72.63137 23–72.7211022–103.3577 24–72.48152 22–83.50111 23–113.84170Boston Red Sox23–63.36138 20–142.82147* Detroit Tigers25–91.81212 Detroit Tigers29–92.22187

National League

Listed below in reverse chronological order are the National League pitchers chosen by Sporting News as recipients of the Pitcher of the Year Award.

National League starting pitchers

YearPitchersTeamRecordERAKReferencesPittsburgh Pirates1.97216 Atlanta Braves2.38225 San Diego Padres2.25234Miami Marlins2.28207 Washington Nationals/Los Angeles Dodgers2.46236 New York Mets2.38104 New York Mets2.43255 New York Mets1.70269 Washington Nationals2.51268 Washington Nationals2.96284 Los Angeles Dodgers1.66200* Los Angeles Dodgers1.77239 Los Angeles Dodgers1.83232

National League relief pitchers

YearPitchersTeamRecordERASavesReferences New York Mets1.6328St. Louis Cardinals2.0449Atlanta Braves1.9534 Milwaukee Brewers1.5636 New York Mets1.3132 Milwaukee Brewers4–21.2334 Milwaukee Brewers4–10.330San Diego Padres0–51.1941 Milwaukee Brewers6–12.4312 Los Angeles Dodgers5–01.3241 Los Angeles Dodgers3–22.2047 Pittsburgh Pirates3–22.2351 Atlanta Braves0–31.6147 Atlanta Braves4–31.2150

National League pitchers

YearNational League PitchersTeamRecordERAKReferencesNew York Mets20–62.73230 Los Angeles Dodgers21–52.28248 Philadelphia Phillies21–102.44219 San Francisco Giants15–72.48261 San Francisco Giants18–52.62265San Diego Padres19–62.54240 St. Louis Cardinals15–83.09184 St. Louis Cardinals21–52.83213San Francisco Giants18–73.49206Los Angeles Dodgers2–31.20137 Arizona Diamondbacks23–73.23316 Arizona Diamondbacks22–62.98293 Atlanta Braves21–93.40152Houston Astros22–42.90177San Diego Padres18–72.38257 Montreal Expos17–81.90305 Atlanta Braves24–82.94276 Atlanta Braves19–21.63181 Atlanta Braves16–61.56156 Atlanta Braves20–102.36197 Chicago Cubs20–112.18199 Atlanta Braves20–112.55192 Pittsburgh Pirates22–62.76131 San Diego Padres4–31.8592 *Los Angeles Dodgers23–82.26213 Chicago Cubs18–103.68174Houston Astros18–102.22306 New York Mets24–41.53268 Chicago Cubs16–12.69155Philadelphia Phillies19–62.37139 Philadelphia Phillies23–113.10286* **Los Angeles Dodgers13–72.48180 Philadelphia Phillies24–92.34286Houston Astros21–113.00119 San Francisco Giants18–102.79171 Philadelphia Phillies23–102.64198San Diego Padres22–142.7493 New York Mets22–92.38243Los Angeles Dodgers15–122.42143San Francisco Giants24–123.53143 Philadelphia Phillies27–101.97310 Chicago Cubs24–132.77263 St. Louis Cardinals23–73.12274 New York Mets25–72.21208 St. Louis Cardinals22–91.12268San Francisco Giants22–102.85150 Los Angeles Dodgers27–91.73317* Los Angeles Dodgers26–82.04382 Los Angeles Dodgers19–51.74223* Los Angeles Dodgers25–51.88306* Los Angeles Dodgers25–92.83232 21–133.02115Pittsburgh Pirates20–93.08120San Francisco Giants21–152.83209 22–113.07150 21–112.6911127–73.06139 Philadelphia Phillies23–143.2816021–72.30152 23–72.10148* Philadelphia Phillies28–72.5914822–32.93146Philadelphia Phillies16–72.6656St. Louis Cardinals20–92.7710824–152.60137Chicago Cubs11–22.124721–163.02161

Players

Multiple wins

Several players have won the Pitcher of the Year Award more than once: Bob Lemon was the first player to win the award 3 times. Warren Spahn was the first to win the award 4 times and won his last award at the age of 40. Roger Clemens was the first to win the award 5 times. Sandy Koufax (1963–1966) and Greg Maddux (1992–1995) won the award 4 consecutive years. Pedro Martínez, Roy Halladay, Vida Blue, Zack Greinke, and Edwin Díaz won the award in the National League and American League. Max Scherzer won the award 4 times, once in AL and three times in NL.

Rank Pitcher # of Awards Years1 5 1986, 1991, 1997, 1998, 20012 4 1972, 1977, 1980, 1982 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 1953, 1957, 1958, 1961 2013, 2016, 2017, 20217 3 1955, 1961, 1963 1948, 1950, 1954 1997, 1999, 2000 1973, 1975, 1976 2019, 2021, 2023 2018, 2019, 2020 2019, 2022, 2025 2019, 2020, 2021 2011, 2013, 2014 2013, 2014, 2017 2017, 2018, 2024 2011, 2012, 202219 2 1968, 1970 1991, 2000 2003, 2010 1944, 1945 1952, 1953 1969, 1975 1971, 1978 2005, 2006 2009, 2015 1987, 1994 1968, 1969 1956, 1957 1985, 1989 2004, 2006 2001, 2002 1984, 1987 2008, 2009 2014, 2015 2018, 2021 2010, 2014 2016, 2017 2024, 2025 2019, 2023

MLB Triple Crown

Only five Pitcher of the Year Award winners have led the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts which is commonly called the Pitching Triple Crown. Below is a complete list including individuals before the award was created.

Sandy Koufax is the only player to achieve it more than once. Koufax achieved it three times in a four-year period. Hal Newhouser, age 24 and Dwight Gooden, age 20 were the youngest individuals. Shane Bieber, age 26 was the last player to achieve this feat. Johan Santana, age 27, is the fifth individual. Walter Johnson and Lefty Grove achieved it twice before the award began.

YearPlayerTeamLeague ERAWKRating Ref(s)AL1.14*36*243* 12.71 Philadelphia PhilliesNL1.22*31*241* 12.62 AL1.27*23*162* 10.00NL2.16*28*262*9.80 AL2.54*28*209* 8.47 AL2.06*31*175* 9.09 Detroit TigersAL1.81*25*212* 9.62 Los Angeles DodgersNL1.88*25*306* 10.41 Los Angeles DodgersNL2.04*26*382* 11.39 Los Angeles DodgersNL1.73*27*317* 11.15New York MetsNL1.53*24*268* 9.88 Minnesota TwinsAL2.77*19*245* 6.96 AL1.63*8*122* 3.32

MLB Hall of Fame predictor

Winning three or more Pitcher or Starting Pitcher of the Year Awards has been seen as a strong indicator of future admission to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame (as active players are not eligible for the Hall of Fame). All of the eligible pitchers with three or more awards have been elected to the Hall of Fame, with one exception: Roger Clemens has the most (five) Pitcher of the Year Awards, is in the top ten for all-time wins and strikeouts, and is considered to be one of the best pitchers of all time. Clemens' alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs is the major stumbling block to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Starting pitchers that have won three or more Pitcher of the Year Awards and the year they were inducted into Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.Members of Baseball Hall of Fame Active player statistics are through the 2023 season.