Gerrit Cole, Cy Young and Yankees History

by Paul Semendinger

September 21, 2023

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A QUICK HISTORY...

Tonight will be Gerrit Cole's penultimate start of the 2023 season. He is currently the favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award.

Cole ranks first in the A.L. in : Pitching WAR, ERA, Innings Pitched, and Games Started.

He is second in Win/Loss Percentage and Hits Per Nine Innings.

He is third in strikeouts.

No other pitcher shows up at the top of so many pitching categories. Since the season is just about 95% over, it is reasonable to say that Gerrit Cole has done enough, already, to earn the award. Let's hope for a great start tonight so he can end any debate and wrap this award up. He deserves it.

Gerrit Cole's pitching has been one of the very few bright spots on the 2023 Yankees.

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Over their long history, the Yankees have had five pitchers win the Cy Young Award.

These have been:

BOB TURLEY (1958)

• 21-7, 2.97

• Led the league in wins, winning percentage, and complete games

• Came in second (to former Yankee Jackie Jensen) in the MVP voting

WHITEY FORD (1961)

• 25-4, 3.21

• Led the league in wins, winning percentage, starts, and innings

• Came in fifth in the MVP voting . Roger Maris won the award. The Yankees had five players in the top-10 in MVP voting that year: Maris (1), Mickey Mantle (2), Ford (5), Luis Arroyo (6), and Elston Howard (10).

SPARKY LYLE (1977)

• 13-5, 2.17 (26 saves)

• Led the league in games and games finished.

• Came in sixth in the MVP voting. Rod Carew won the award. Graig Nettles was fifth.

RON GUIDRY (1978)

• 25-3, 1.74

• Led the league in wins, winning percentage, ERA, and shutouts

• Came in second (to Jim Rice) in the MVP voting

ROGER CLEMENS (2001)

• 20-3, 3.51

• Led the league in winning percentage.

• Came in eighth in MVP voting. Ichiro Suzuki won the award.