Gerrit Cole, Blake Snell officially confirmed as 2023 AL & NL Cy Young Award winners
As the MLB offseason continues to roll on, the league has officially named the winners of the 2023 Cy Young Award winners in both the American and National Leagues. Although there is no such thing as a guarantee, Blake Snell and Gerrit Cole have unsurprisingly been named as the recipients of the awards.
"It's official: Gerrit Cole has won his 1st Cy Young Award. He joins NL winner Blake Snell. Here's a long look at how Cole's spectacular season came together, featuring a bunch of voices with insight on the #Yankees ace. @NYDNSports" - @GaryHPhillips
Gerrit Cole has finally earned baseball's biggest pitching prize
After years of performing as one of the best pitchers in baseball, New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole has finally earned the first Cy Young Award of his career. As expected, the 33-year-old has been named the American League Cy Young Award winner thanks to his incredible season with the Bronx Bombers.
Even though the New York Yankees failed to reach anywhere near their goal for the 2023 campaign, Cole was spectacular from start to finish. In an American League-leading 209.0 innings, Cole posted a 15-4 record with 222 strikeouts and an MLB-best 0.981 WHIP (walks + hits per inning pitched).
"The 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner is Gerrit Cole!" - @MLB
Blake Snell has earned the second Cy Young Award of his career
This is the second time Blake Snell has won the prestigious award, with the first coming back in 2018 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. Much like Cole, Snell delivered an incredible season while the team around them struggled.
Now, five years after winning the award for the first time, Snell has done it again. The 30-year-old posted a 14-9 record with a league-leading 2.25 ERA while also racking 234 strikeouts over 180.0 innings.
"The 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner is Blake Snell!" - @MLB
Snell joins Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay, and Max Scherzer as the only pitchers to have won the award in both leagues.
The 30-year-old now enters the offseason as not only a two-time Cy Young winner but also an unrestricted free agent. If there was ever a time for a player to enter free agency, the potential former San Diego Padres ace sure picked a good time.