It was never really up for debate.
Clayton Kershaw from the Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League’s Cy Young award yesterday.
The 23-year-old Texan received 27 of a possible 32 first-place votes and a points total of 207 in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Phillies teammates Roy Halladay (133) and Cliff Lee (90) were second and third, with Halladay picking up four first-place votes. The D-backs’ Ian Kennedy, who appeared first on one ballot, placed fourth in the voting.
A 2011 All-Star, Kershaw won the NL’s Triple Crown for pitchers, leading the league with 21 wins (tied), a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts. Koufax (1963, 1965 and 1966) and Dazzy Vance (1924) are the only other Dodgers pitchers to win a Triple Crown. Kershaw also was among the league leaders in opponents’ batting average, innings pitched, complete games, shutouts and WHIP.
