Felix Hernandez Wins First Cy Young Award, Beats Out David Price, CC Sabathia

Earlier Thursday, Seattle’s Felix Hernandez won the 2010 American League Cy Young Award over New York’s CC Sabathia and Tampa Bay’s David Price, among a host of others. The winner was officially announced at 2pm ET - the same announcement time for all BBWAA awards. However, the actual winner doesn’t have to wait until then to hear that he won. The winner is always informed a little bit ahead of time. And with this award, that information wound up getting out about a half hour early.

From Venezuelan journalist Alexander Mendoza, well prior to 2pm ET:

In the end, though, Hernandez won out, despite his record. And this could signal some changing perspectives.

And now Hernandez has taken it home with 13 wins, even though a competitor finished at 21-7. One doesn’t want to rush to sweeping judgments based on annual sample sizes of 28 voters in the A.L. and 32 in the N.L., but it sure seems like wins are getting less and less consideration, while other statistics that better reflect a pitcher’s actual ability and performance get more. And that can only be a good thing.

CC Sabathia won 21 games for the Yankees with a 3.18 ERA. David Price won 19 games for the Rays with a 2.72 ERA. Jon Lester, Justin Verlander, Clay Buchholz, Trevor Cahill, and several other pitchers all won at least 14 times with low ERA figures. But, in the end, the Baseball Writers Association of America saw past the win totals and awarded the 2010 American League Cy Young to Seattle’s young Felix Hernandez.

Pitching for a terrible Mariners team, Hernandez won just 13 times, with 12 losses to his name. However, he also led the league in innings, ERA, and quality starts while receiving the lowest run support in baseball, which built a very convincing case. Such a convincing case, in fact, that Hernandez picked up 21 of a possible 28 first-place votes, with Price getting four, and Sabathia getting three.

But what matters is who finishes first, and one senses that it’s going to come down to Hernandez, Sabathia, and Price. And based on statements from a number of American League voters and non-voting journalists, Hernandez seems to have a slight edge.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream through the 2pm ET announcement. If Hernandez gets it, his 13 wins will be the lowest total for any starting pitcher in Cy Young history.