Rick Porcello narrowly wins AL Cy Young

Mar 13, 2015; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello (22) pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Porcello had never received a Cy Young Award vote in any previous election over seven seasons. It marked the seventh time a Red Sox pitcher was honored. The others: Roger Clemens in 1986, ’87 and ’91; Pedro Martinez in 1999 and 2000 and Jim Lonborg in 1967.

The five-point differential is the second closest of any election since ballots permitted voting for more than one pitcher in 1970. Verlander, who was not listed on two ballots, also finished second in the 2012 election to the Tampa Bay Rays’ David Price, 153-149. Three pitchers were on ballots from 1970 through 2009 and five since 2010. The only tie in Cy Young Award voting occurred in 1969 between the Baltimore Orioles’ Mike Cuellar and the Detroit Tigers’ Denny McLain, the last year when voters could select only one pitcher.

This election marked only the third time that a pitcher won a Cy Young Award without receiving the most first-place votes, the first time in the AL and by the widest margin overall. It occurred twice in the National League. In 1998, the Atlanta Braves’ Tom Glavine won by a 99-88 score over the San Diego Padres’ Trevor Hoffman, who had more first-place votes, 13-11. In 2009, the San Francisco Giants’ Tim Lincecum received 11 first-place votes, one fewer than the St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, but won the election with 100 points to 94 for the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter, who had nine first-place votes, and 90 for Wainwright.

Porcello and Kluber were the only pitchers named on every ballot.

Ballots from two writers in each league city prior to postseason play are tabulated on a system that rewards seven points for first place, four points for second place, three points for third place, two votes for fourth place and one point for fifth place.

2016 AL Cy Young

Pitcher, Team1st2nd3rd4th5thPoints
Rick Porcello, Red Sox818211137
Justin Verlander, Tigers142543132
Corey Kluber, Indians36128198
Zach Britton, Orioles5325972
Chris Sale, White Sox149640
J.A. Happ, Blue Jays32114
Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays136
Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees146
Andrew Miller, Yankees/Indians13
Michael Fulmer, Tigers11
Jose Quintana, White Sox11

Below is a breakdown of the 30 individual ballots, submitted by two writers representing each city in the American League. For more information on the voting, see our Voting FAQ.

2016 AL Cy Young

NameAffiliationChapter1st2nd3rd4th5th
Roch KubatkoMASNsports.comBALBrittonPorcelloKluberVerlanderSale
Rich DubroffCSNmidatlantic.comBALBrittonPorcelloVerlanderKluberSale
Christopher SmithSpringfield RepublicanBOSPorcelloVerlanderKluberBrittonHapp
Ian BrowneMLB.comBOSVerlanderPorcelloSaleKluberBritton
Dan HayesComcast SportsNet ChicagoCHIVerlanderPorcelloSaleKluberBritton
Scot GregorDaily HeraldCHIKluberPorcelloHappBrittonVerlander
Zack MeiselCleveland.comCLEVerlanderPorcelloKluberSaleTanaka
Jordan BastianMLB.comCLEVerlanderSalePorcelloKluberQuintana
Chris McCoskyThe Detroit NewsDETVerlanderPorcelloKluberSaleBritton
Anthony FenechDetroit Free PressDETVerlanderPorcelloSaleKluberBritton
Jake KaplanHouston ChronicleHOUVerlanderKluberPorcelloSaleTanaka
MoiseKapenda BowerThe Sports XchangeHOUVerlanderPorcelloKluberSaleBritton
Sam MellingerKansas City StarKCVerlanderPorcelloKluberSaleBritton
Jeffrey FlanaganMLB.comKCKluberPorcelloVerlanderSaleFulmer
Tim BrownYahoo SportsLAPorcelloKluberSaleVerlanderBritton
Mark WhickerLos Angeles Daily NewsLABrittonPorcelloVerlanderKluberSanchez
Mike BerardinoSt. Paul Pioneer PressMINVerlanderBrittonMillerKluberPorcello
La Velle Neal IIIMinneapolis Star TribuneMINKluberPorcelloVerlanderHappSale
Pete CalderaBergen RecordNYPorcelloKluberHappBrittonVerlander
Wallace MatthewsESPN.comNYPorcelloBrittonKluberVerlanderSale
John SheaSan Francisco ChronicleOAKVerlanderPorcelloKluberBrittonTanaka
Joe StiglichCSN Bay AreaOAKBrittonPorcelloVerlanderKluberSale
Ryan DivishSeattle TimesSEAPorcelloVerlanderKluberSaleBritton
John McGrathTacoma News TribuneSEABrittonPorcelloKluberHappVerlander
Fred GoodallAssociated PressTBPorcelloKluberHappBrittonSanchez
Bill ChastainMLB.comTBPorcelloBrittonKluberSaleTanaka
Gerry FraleyDallas Morning NewsTEXPorcelloKluberBrittonVerlanderSanchez
Jeff WilsonFort Worth Star-TelegramTEXVerlanderPorcelloKluberSaleBritton
Shi DavidiSportsnetTORVerlanderKluberBrittonPorcelloSale
Brendan KennedyToronto StarTORVerlanderPorcelloSanchezTanakaKluber