New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole was unanimously named the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner as the league’s best pitcher Wednesday night.
Toronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman finished third in the voting.
The award, which is voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA), was revealed on MLB Network.
This is Cole’s first time winning the award in 11 big-league seasons after receiving votes on six different occasions, including two runner-up finishes.
The 33-year-old led the American League in innings pitched (209.0), ERA (2.63) and WHIP (0.98) over 33 starts. He also racked up 222 strikeouts while walking just 48 hitters.
His excellent campaign earned him his sixth-career All-Star appearance, getting to start the contest for the American League.
Cole becomes the sixth Yankees pitcher to win the Cy Young, joining Bob Turley (1958), Whitey Ford (1961), Sparky Lyle (1977), Ron Guidry (1978) and Roger Clemens (2001).
Despite New York’s struggles in 2023, Cole posted a 15-4 record when he took the mound.
Gausman received Cy Young votes for the third straight season. The 32-year-old received seven second-place and 15 third-place votes. A Blue Jays pitcher has now appeared on the ballot in four consecutive years.
The six-foot-two right-hander logged a 3.16 ERA over 185 innings for Toronto while racking up an AL-best 237 punchouts.
Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt finished 10th in voting after receiving a third- and fifth-place vote. The veteran righty covered 200 innings for Toronto while posting a 3.60 ERA and earning 16 wins.
Minnesota Twins starter Sonny Gray was the other finalist for the award.
The BBWAA’s MVP awards will be announced on Thursday night.