Clayton Kershaw (S.D. Dirk, Wikimedia Commons)
Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League Cy Young Award on Thursday.
Kershaw becomes the first Dodger since Eric Gagne of Montreal, Quebec in 2003 to win the award and seventh Dodger overall joining Don Drysdale (1962), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965, and 1966), Mike Marshall (1974), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), and Orel Hershiser (1988).
At 23 years old, Kershaw is the youngest Cy Young Award winner since 20 year-old Dwight Gooden won the Cy Young Award with the New York Mets in 1985.
Like Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers in the American League this season, Kershaw led the National League in wins (21), earned run average (2.28), and strikeouts (248). He also had the lowest WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) in the National League at 0.98.
Despite having a lousy season in the National League West (11.5 games back of the division winning Arizona Diamondbacks), the Los Angeles Dodgers have a legitimate shot of having the National League MVP as well. Matt Kemp led the National League in runs (115), runs batted in (126), and home runs (39) this season.
Loading ...
