Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Brandon Webb, who tied for the league lead in victories and shutouts, won the National League Cy Young Award in balloting by the BBWAA.

Of 32 ballots submitted by two writers in each league city, Webb was listed first on 15, second on seven and third on seven for a total of 103 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. No pitcher was on every ballot. Webb had a 16-8 record with a 3.10 ERA in a career-high 235 innings, second in the NL. He was tied with five other pitchers for the most victories. Webb’s three shutouts matched that of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter (15-8, 3.09 ERA), the 2005 winner who had two first-place votes this year and finished third.

The runner-up in the ’06 voting was San Diego Padres reliever Trevor Hoffman (0-2, 2.14 ERA, 46 SV), who was first on 12 ballots, second on three and third on eight for 77 points. The other three first-place votes went to the Houston Astros’ Roy Oswalt (15-8, 2.98 ERA), who was fourth overall.

It marked the fifth time a Diamondbacks pitcher won the award. Randy Johnson was a winner four years in a row from 1999 through 2002. Webb’s victory total was the lowest for a starting pitcher Cy Young Award winner in a complete season. The previous low had been 17 victories, by Johnson (17-9 in 1999) and Pedro Martinez (17-8 for the Montreal Expos in 1997). The Los Angeles’ Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela was 13-7 in 1981 and the Atlanta Braves’ Greg Maddux 16-6 in 1994, but those seasons were abbreviated because of players’ strikes.

The vote:

2006 NL Cy Young Award