Mike Marshall won the Cy Young Award in 1974 as a reliever but was used very differently than today’s relievers. Marshall threw 208.1 innings and appeared in 106 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Several other seasons followed where no starting pitchers were obvious winners, so relievers became compelling. But still, these relievers were used more flexibly than pure closers who developed more in the 1980s.
Given recent changes to bullpen management, it seems unlikely that a reliever will win the Cy again.
Here are the nine relievers to finish atop the Cy voting:
- Eric Gagne, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2003
- Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics, 1992
- Mark Davis, San Diego Padres, 1989
- Steve Bedrosian, Philadelphia Phillies, 1987
- Willie Hernandez, Detroit Tigers, 1984
- Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee Brewers, 1981
- Bruce Sutter, Chicago Cubs, 1979
- Sparky Lyle, New York Yankees, 1977
- Mike Marshall, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1974
Dennis Eckersley won the Cy and A.L. MVP in 1992. He and Eric Gagne are the only pitchers to win the award who were almost exclusively ninth-inning specialists. Eckersley pitched only 80 innings in 1992. It was Rollie Fingers’ 1981 season though that featured the fewest innings pitched by a Cy winner (78 innings, across 47 appearances).
Lee Smith holds the record for the fewest innings pitched by someone who received votes for the Cy Young Award. Smith pitched only 38 innings in 1994 (strike-shortened) and finished 1-4 with a 3.29 ERA and 33 saves for the Baltimore Orioles. He received one vote point. Four pitchers have received votes with under 50 innings pitched.
We know that wins are overrated as a measure of successful pitching, but did you know it’s possible to be a Cy Young Award contender without recording any wins?
Four relievers have received Cy votes in no-win seasons:
- Kirby Yates, San Diego Padres, 2019
- Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners, 2018
- Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves, 2014
- Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres, 2006, 12 first-place votes but finished second overall.
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