Complete voting results by year
1969 A.L. Mike Cuellar, Baltimore Orioles and Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers
Both 10 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Cuellar … nothing meaningful. McLain … wins (24), shutouts (9), innings (325)
Noteworthy: This was the only tie in Cy Young voting history. Cuellar and McLain each earned 10 first-place votes. Cuellar went 23-11 with a 2.38 ERA, 4.4 WAR and 149 ERA+. McLain went 24-9 with a 2.8 ERA, 8.1 WAR and 134 ERA+. McLain pitched nine shutouts; Cuellar five.
Background resources: Cuellar’s Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio, McLain, see 1968
1969 N.L. Tom Seaver, New York Mets
23 of 24 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (25)
Noteworthy: Phil Niekro received the only other vote. He had 23 wins for Atlanta. Bob Gibson had 20 wins, a 10.4 WAR and 2.18 ERA compared to Seaver’s 2.21. Juan Marichal had a 2.10 ERA, league-leading ERA+ of 168, ahead of Seaver’s 165, and league-leading eight shutouts. With most of his career taking place in the era of first-place only Cy voting, Marichal received votes for the award in just one season, finishing eighth in 1971. Marichal was largely overshadowed by Sandy Koufax but did finish in the top nine of N.L. MVP voting in 1965, ’66 and ’68.
Background resources: See 1975
1968 A.L. Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers
20 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (31), complete games (28), innings (336)
Noteworthy: McLain was 31-6 with a 1.96 ERA.(second to Luis Tiant, 1.60). McLain’s 7.4 WAR was also second to Tiant (8.5). Tiant also won ERA+ (186, vs. 154 for McLain in 4th). Tiant won 21 games for Cleveland. McLain is the only pitchers to earn unanimous Cy Young Award and unanimous Most Valuable Player in the same season. In MVP voting, McLain finished first and his batterymate, Bill Freehan was second. McClain went 55-15 in 1968-68 and 17-34 the rest of his career.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1968 N.L. Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals
20 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: ERA (1.12), shutouts (13), strikeouts (268), ERA+ (258), FIP (1.77), WHIP (0.853), WAR (11.2)
Noteworthy: 1.12 may be the most recognized pitching statistic in baseball history. Gibson was nearly untouchable in 1968. The average ERA of all Cy Young Award winners (1956-2019) was 2.48. The next lowest from a starting pitcher is Dwight Gooden’s 1.53 in 1985. Gibson’s WAR was 11.9. Willie McCovey was next highest in the league at 7. He finished third in MVP voting behind Pete Rose and Gibson.
Background resources: See 1970
1967 A.L. Jim Lonborg, Boston Red Sox
18 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (22), strikeouts (246)
Noteworthy: Carl Yastrzemski’s triple crown receives a lot of attention for the Red Sox 1967 Impossible Dream season that took them to the World Series but Lonborg deserves a lot of credit also. Lonborg added two more wins in the World Series against the Cardinals. Lonborg finished sixth in A.L. MVP voting, behind Yastrzemski’s lead. Lonborg was just 25 in 1967 and stayed in the majors for 15 years but this was his only season with a Cy Young Award vote, All-Star Game or MVP consideration. He wasn’t in the A.L. top 10 in WAR, ERA or ERA+ in 1967. Joe Horlen of the White Sox would have earned votes in today’s voting system where more than first-place is voted for. Horlen led the A.L. in ERA (2.06), ERA+ (146), shutouts (6) and WHIP (0.853)
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1967 N.L. Mike McCormick, San Francisco Giants
18 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (22)
Noteworthy: McCormick was in the majors at 17 with the Giants in 1957. After stops in Baltimore and Washington, he returned to the Giants in 1967 for his best season, the only one he received Cy Young votes for. Jim Bunning and Fergie Jenkins were the others to receive first-place votes. Bunning deserved the award. Bunning had better results than McCormick across the board but went 17-15 for a weak Phillies team.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1966 Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers
20 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (27), ERA (1.73), completed games (27), shutouts (5), innings (323), strikeouts (317), ERA+ (190), FIP (2.07), WAR (10.3)
Noteworthy: This was Koufax’s career high in wins, ERA and ERA+. His WAR had been slightly higher in 1963. He finished second in MVP voting again, becoming the only pitcher ever to finish in the top two for MVP three times. He had the most first-place votes for MVP but trailed Roberto Clemente by 10 points overall. Koufax was the first, and only one of four, back-to-back unanimous Cy Young Award winners.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, Hall of Fame bio, SABR bio
1965 Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers
20 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (26), ERA (2.04), complete games (27), innings (335.2), strikeouts (382), FIP (1.93), WHIP (0.855), WAR (10.3)
Noteworthy: Received six first-place votes from MVP finishing second to Willie Mays. Koufax pitched his perfect game (4th no-hitter) at Dodger Stadium against the Cubs, September 9, 1965. Koufax was MVP of the World Series. He pitched shutouts in two of his three starts against the Twins. In 57 career postseason innings, his ERA was 0.95.
Background resources: See 1966
1964 Dean Chance, Los Angeles Angels
17 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (20), ERA (1.65), complete games (15), shutouts (11), innings (278.1), ERA+ (200), FIP (2.39), WAR (9.4)
Noteworthy: Chance won the Cy Young Award in his age 23 season. He held the record for the youngest Cy winner for 21 years until Dwight Gooden. It was Chance’s only season receiving Cy Young votes. Chance used an unusual windup turning his back completely to the hitter, similar to what another Los Angeles Cy Young Award winner – Fernando Valenzuela – would do in 1981. Chance won 20 again in 1967 with the Twins.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio
1963 Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers
20 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (25), ERA (1.88), shutouts (11), strikeouts (306), FIP (1.85), WHIP (0.875), WAR (10.7)
Noteworthy: Koufax’s second no-hitter came May 11, 1963, the first no-hitter pitched during the season of an eventual Cy Young Award winner. Through 1960, Koufax’s career record was 36-40. He made his first All-Star team in 1961 and led the N.L. in strikeouts. From 1961-66, he went 129-47, leading the N.L. in ERA every year from 1962-66 and FIP every year from 1961-66.
Background resources: See 1966
1962 Don Drysdale, Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 20 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (25), innings (314.1), strikeouts (232)
Noteworthy: Drysdale started a five-year run of Los Angeles pitchers (Dodgers and Angels) winning the Cy Young Award. Bob Purkey, who was fourth in voting with one first-place vote, has an argument for deserving the award. He has a better WAR (7.3 to Drysdale’s 5.4) and better ERA+ (143 to 128). Purkey went 23-5 but had 90 fewer strikeouts than Drysdale. If Purkey had won, the Cincinnati Reds wouldn’t still be waiting for their first Cy Young winner, 60 seasons later.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, Hall of Fame bio, SABR bio
1961 Whitey Ford, New York Yankees
9 of 17 first-place votes
Led league in: Wins (25), innings (283), FIP (3.14)
Noteworthy: It was Ford’s career high for wins. From June through the middle of August, he won 14 consecutive decisions. He finished fifth in MVP voting. His teammates, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle went 1-2. Yankees pitcher Luis Arroyo placed sixth giving the Yankees four of the top six vote-getters for A.L. MVP. Ford received MVP votes in eight seasons.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, Hall of Fame bio, SABR bio
1960 Vern Law, Pittsburgh Pirates
8 of 14 first-place votes
Led league in: Complete games (18)
Noteworthy: Law went 20-9 for the World Series champion Pirates. It was his only 20-win season. Ernie Broglio, who finished third in Cy voting, had a better WAR than Law (7.1 vs. 4.2), lower ERA (2.74 vs. 3.08), higher ERA+ (148 vs. 122) and went 21-9. But rather than being most known as a Cy Young winner, Broglio is most known for being traded by the Cardinals to Cubs for Lou Brock, who because a Hall of Famer with the Cardinals.
Background resources: Baseball-reference.com page, SABR bio