Washington Nationals starter Max Scherzer has won the 2016 National League Cy Young Award, announced Major League Baseball.
The pitcher earned 25 first-place votes, per the Baseball Writers' Association of America, beating out Chicago Cubs starters Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks. Here is a full look at the voting results in a tightly contested race:
Players like Johnny Cueto, Madison Bumgarner, Noah Syndergaard, Clayton Kershaw and Jose Fernandez also deserved consideration in a loaded field of aces.
Scherzer posted a 2.96 ERA this season to go with a 20-7 record, giving him the most wins in the National League. He also led his league in innings pitched (228.1), strikeouts (284) and WHIP (0.968).
After throwing two no-hitters a year ago, the 32-year-old was just as effective in 2016, gaining an advantage thanks to a better team around him.
"These guys absolutely supported me the whole year, playing defense, going out there and scoring runs, and our bullpen coming in and shutting the door," Scherzer said in October, per Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. "I don't win 20 without the rest of these guys in the clubhouse. They've been grinding the whole year for me. It's just an unbelievable honor."
Playing for a first-place team helped Scherzer go from 14 wins to 20, as well as fifth in the Cy Young voting to first. This represents his second career Cy Young Award after winning the American League version in 2013. He has finished in the top five in each of the past four seasons, earning an All-Star nod in all of them.
The Nationals signed Scherzer to a seven-year deal worth $210 million before the start of the 2015 season. While he will remain on the books for a long time, Washington is getting more than its money's worth through the first two years.
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