Cy Young Award

The annual award given to the best pitcher in each league — named after Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who won 511 career games.

The Cy Young Award is presented annually to the best pitcher in each league (American and National), as voted on by the BBWAA. It was established in 1956 to honor Cy Young, who pitched from 1890 to 1911 and won a record 511 games — a mark that will never be approached in the modern era.

The award has historically been dominated by strikeout artists and low-ERA workhorses. In recent decades, the voters have incorporated advanced metrics: FIP, WAR, and strikeout-to-walk ratio now factor heavily into the conversation alongside traditional ERA and wins.

For Hall of Fame purposes, a single Cy Young Award significantly strengthens a pitcher's case. Multiple Cy Young Awards — particularly three or more — are a near-certain HOF signal. AllFame's Awards dimension, which carries 20% of the HOF Score weight, assigns significant points for each Cy Young Award won.