There literally was no doubt about it: Gerrit Cole was the best pitcher in the American League in 2023, and now he has the hardware to prove it.
The BBWAA announced the Cy Young Awards on Wednesday night and Cole was the unanimous AL winner, earning all 30 first-place votes to become the second straight unanimous AL Cy and 11th overall.
“This is a richly deserved award for Gerrit, and I couldn't be happier for him. It's not lost on me how fortunate I am to manage such a talented and driven player,” Aaron Boone said in a statement released by the Yankees after the announcement. “Having the opportunity to witness Gerrit's dedication to his craft, to the game, and to his team has been a privilege. He pours so much into this. To see him finally awarded with this honor after years of coming close is incredibly exciting for all of us who share the clubhouse with him.”
Cole had finished in the Top 5 of Cy Young voting five times prior to this year, including a pair of runner-up finishes in 2019 (where he was a few votes shy of beating Justin Verlander) and 2021, when his lone first-place vote kept Robbie Ray from being a unanimous Cy.
But, he was not to be denied this year after going 15-4 and leading the AL in ERA, innings pitched, WHIP, ERA+, and WAR. And now, he’s the sixth Yankee to win the Cy – including one other unanimous winner in Ron Guidry in 1978 – and the first since Roger Clemens in 2001.
“Congratulations to Gerrit on deservedly receiving the American League Cy Young Award. He was simply dominant this year and took the ball every time it was his turn,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said in a statement. “What makes Gerrit so great is how dedicated he is to being the best version of himself he can be. He’s meticulous in scouting opponents and evaluating his performances, while continually immersing himself in new ideas to make himself even better. He’s a pitcher’s pitcher, and we are lucky to have him leading our rotation and leading by example in our clubhouse. This recognition puts a further stamp on his career, so people understand he’s one of the absolute best of his generation.”
Cole was the only pitcher named on every ballot, his 210 points 106 better than runner-up Sonny Gray, who was named on 29 of 30 ballots and earned 20 of the 30 second-place votes.
Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, who got seven second-place votes and 15 of 30 third-place votes, finished third, with Baltimore’s Kyle Bradish and Seattle’s Luis Castillo rounded out the Top 5.
Seven of the 12 pitchers receiving votes were from the AL East, as Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin was sixth, Baltimore’s Felix Bautista was 11th, and two other ex-New Yorkers placed 10th and 12th: the former being ex-Met and now-Blue Jay Chris Bassitt, and the latter ex-Yankee and now-Red Sox righty Chris Martin.
