Complete voting results by year
1989 A.L. Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals
27 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (23), ERA (2.16), complete games (12), innings (262.1), ERA+ (180), FIP (2.45), WHIP (0.961)
Noteworthy: Saberhagen deserved to be a unanimous winner but Dave Stewart drew one first-place vote. After this season, Saberhagen’s career record was 92-61 and he wasn’t yet 26. He remained a winning pitcher with sharp control for much of the next decade but the Hall of Fame trajectory faded.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1989 N.L. Mark Davis, San Diego Padres
19 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Saves (44)
Noteworthy: Davis was an All-Star in 1988 and 1989 but this was the only season he received Cy votes in. He had 44 saves in 1989 and 52 the entire rest of his career. He had a 1.85 ERA for the Padres in ’89. Orel Hershiser had the highest WAR (7.0) and ERA+ (149) among starting pitchers but went 15-15. Mike Scott was the only 20-game winner in the league and finished second in Cy voting. Davis has the worst career win percentage of any Cy Young winner (.378, 51-84).
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page
1988 A.L. Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins
27 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (24)
Noteworthy: Viola was nearly unanimous and also placed 10th in MVP voting. He tied Mark Gubicza for the lead in WAR (7.7) and was third in ERA. Just as he didn’t receive enough support in 1990. His candidacy was probably a little over done here, with Gubicza being overlooked a bit.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page
1988 N.L. Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers
24 of 30 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (23), complete games (15), shutouts (8), innings (267), WAR (7.2)
Noteworthy: Hershiser finished the season with a still-record 59 consecutive scoreless innings. He allowed three extra-base hits in those 59 innings. He started the playoffs with another eight scoreless innings against the Mets before allowing two runs. He went on to be MVP of the NLCS and World Series. Since the voting system changed in 1970, this vote featured the fewest contenders. In addition to Hershiser, only Cincinnati’s Danny Jackson and the Mets’ David Cone received votes.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, ESPN look back at the streak, SABR bio
1987 A.L. Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox
21 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (20), Complete games (18), shutouts (7), FIP (2.91), WAR (9.4)
Noteworthy: Toronto lefty Jimmy Key was better than Clemens in some categories but couldn’t keep the Rocket from going back-to-back. Key led in ERA (2.76) and ERA+ (164 vs. 154) but trailed in wins, strikeouts and WAR. Doyle Alexander finished fourth even though he started only 11 games for the Tigers. He went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA after being acquired in a trade that sent future Hall of Famer John Smoltz to Atlanta. Alexander had been 5-10 with the Braves in 1987 before the trade.
Background resources: See 2004
1987 N.L. Steve Bedrosian, Philadelphia Phillies
9 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Saves (40)
Noteworthy: Bedrosian had 184 saves in 14 seasons but was never more effective than 1987. It was the only season he received votes for the Cy Young Award. It was also his only All-Star season. He finished the year 5-3 with a 2.83 ERA. Five different players received first-place Cy Votes. One who didn’t was Nolan Ryan, who led starting pitchers in ERA+ (142) but had an 8-16 record. Bedrosian edged Rick Sutcliffe by just two points, the closest Cy Young Award vote since the 1970 voting system. Rick Reuschel was three points behind Bedrosian.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page
1986 A.L. Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox
28 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (24), ERA (2.48), ERA+ (169), FIP (2.81), WHIP (0.969)
Noteworthy: Clemens was unanimous in the Red Sox drive to the World Series but did not lead the league in WAR. The WAR leader was Milwaukee’s Teddy Higuera (9.4 vs. 8.8 for Clemens). Higuera finished second. Clemens received 19 of 28 first-place votes for A.L. MVP to easily win over Don Mattingly.
Background resources: See 2004
1986 N.L. Mike Scott, Houston Astros
15 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: ERA (2.22) shutouts (5), innings (275.1), strikeouts (306), ERA+ (161), FIP (2.16), WHIP (0.923), WAR (8.4)
Noteworthy: Was it the emergence of a dominant split-finger fastball or stealth scuffing that helped Scott’s ascension to N.L. pitching elite. He was the one pitcher that handled the 108-win World Series champion Mets who squawked a lot about scuffed baseballs. It was Scott’s second consecutive 18-win season. He would later add a 20-win season to finish second in Cy voting in 1989. Scott pitched a no-hitter against the Giants on Sept. 25, 1986, the first no-hitter by a pitcher during what would be their Cy Young Award season since Sandy Koufax in 1965.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1985 A.L. Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals
23 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: FIP (2.89), WHIP (1.058), WAR (7.1)
Noteworthy: Saberhagen went 20-6 with a 2.87 ERA (third in the A.L.). Dan Quisenberry and Charlie Liebrandt gave the Royals three of the top five vote-getters during their World Series championship season. The only other teams to have three of the top five were the 1990 A’s (Welch, Stewart, Eckersley), the 1998 Braves (Glavine, Maddux, Smoltz) and the 2010 Phillies (Halladay, Lee, Hamels).
Background resources: See 1989
1985 N.L. Dwight Gooden, New York Mets
24 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (24), ERA (1.53), complete games (16), innings (276.2), strikeouts (268), ERA+ (229), FIP (2.13), WAR (12.2).
Noteworthy: Gooden’s WAR is the best in the Cy Young Award era. He was just 20 and had won the Rookie of the Year and placed second in Cy voting the previous year. Gooden was so dominant that John Tudor had a season that would have been worthy of a Cy Young Award in many other years but he didn’t receive any first-place votes.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1984 A.L. Willie Hernandez, Detroit Tigers
12 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Games (80), games finished (68)
Noteworthy: This was the only year Hernandez received Cy Young or MVP votes and he won both. He had 32 saves, a 1.92 ERA, 0.941 WHIP and a 4.8 WAR (more than ¼ of his 13-season total). Royals closer Dan Quisenberry placed second, making 1984 the only year with relievers finishing 1-2 in Cy history. Eleven times, two relievers have finished in the top five, most recently, 2008.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1984 N.L. Rick Sutcliffe, Chicago Cubs
24 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Win percentage (16-1, .941)
Noteworthy: Sutcliffe started the season 4-5, 5.15 ERA with the Indians before joining the Cubs and befuddling the National League for the rest of the summer. He pitched seven complete games and three shutouts helping the Cubs to the playoffs and earning fourth place in N.L. MVP voting. Given only a partial N.L. season and the fact that his A.L. numbers weren’t rolled up to full-season totals, there is some contention that Dwight Gooden should have won this Cy. That would have made him the second to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy in the same season. Gooden led the N.L. in strikeouts, FIP and WHIP while going 17-9, 2.60 but finished second in voting as a 19-year-old.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page
1983 A.L. LaMarr Hoyt, Chicago White Sox
17 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (24), WHIP (1.024)
Noteworthy: This was Hoyt’s second consecutive year leading the A.L. in wins, the following season, he led in losses. It was the only season he received any votes for the Cy Young Award. Royals submarine-style closer Dan Quisenberry finished second in 1983, 1984 and third in 1982.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page
1983 N.L. John Denny, Philadelphia Phillies
20 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (19), WAR (7.4)
Noteworthy: Denny was the most effective pitcher on the Phillies’ World Series team. It was his only season receiving Cy votes. He won 123 with four teams over 13 seasons but topped at 14 wins other than his 19-6 1983 season.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page
1982 A.L. Pete Vuckovich, Milwaukee Brewers
14 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Win percentage (18-6, .778)
Noteworthy: Vuckovich is tied with Tom Glavine (1998) for the lowest share of total votes received (62%) by a Cy winner. His 1.502 WHIP is by far the highest among winners of Cy Young Awards. Perhaps reached baseball immortality more for his role of Clu Haywood in Major League. Four others received first-place votes: Jim Palmer, Dan Quisenberry, Dave Stieb and Rick Sutcliffe. Stieb led in WAR at 7.6, compared to Vuckovich’s 2.8.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1982 N.L. Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies
20 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (23), complete games (19), shutouts (6), innings (295.2), strikeouts (286), FIP (2.41)
Noteworthy: The final of six seasons receiving Cy Young Award votes. He’s a four-time winner. Each time he won the Cy, he led the N.L. in wins on his way to 329 career victories. He was durable, leading the N.L. in batters faced seven times. Montreal’s Steve Rogers has a good argument for deserving the N.L. Cy in 1982. He finished second with a 7.6 WAR compared to Carlton’s 5.5.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, Hall of Fame bio, SABR bio
1981 A.L. Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee Brewers
22 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Saves (28), strike-shortened season
Noteworthy: Fingers was the first reliever to win MVP and Cy Young Awards. He received Cy Young Award votes in four of his 17 seasons but MVP votes 7 times.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, Hall of Fame bio, SABR bio
1981 N.L. Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers
8 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Complete games (11), shutouts (8), innings (192.1), strikeouts (180).
Noteworthy: Valenzuela is the only pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in the same season. Fernandomania became a national phenomenon when Valenzuela won his first eight starts (5 shutouts) in 1981. Valenzuela went on to place in the top five of Cy voting four times and was a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner. The other four pitchers to receive votes for the N.L. Cy in 1981 are all in the Hall of Fame (Carlton, Seaver, Ryan, Sutter). Valenzuela edged Seaver by three points. Seaver and Valenzuela each received eight first-place votes.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page
1980 A.L. Steve Stone, Baltimore Orioles
13 of 28 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (25)
Noteworthy: It was the only season that Stone received Cy votes. He would go on to make just 15 more appearances. Stone did not place in the top 10 in the A.L. in WAR in 1980 and was seventh in ERA (3.23). Mike Norris of Oakland finished second in voting and likely would have won in a re-vote today.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1980 N.L. Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies
23 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (24), innings (304), strikeouts (286), ERA+ (162), FIP (2.42), WAR (10.2)
Noteworthy: Carlton was the clear Cy winner and finished fifth in MVP voting (for the third time in his career). He also went 3-0 in the playoffs as the Phillies won the World Series.
Background resources: See 1982