Beckett second to Sabathia
C.C. Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians won the American League Cy Young award in balloting by the BBWAA. Red Sox ace Josh Beckett finished second.
Sabathia (19-7 with a 3.21 ERA) was listed first on 19 of 28 ballots cast by two writers in each league city and second on eight to total 119 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. Beckett (20-7, 3.27 ERA) was listed first on eight ballots, second on 14 and third on four to finish with the runner-up total of 86 points.
Beckett had the ALs highest victory total and ranked sixth in ERA and seventh in strikeouts (194) for the AL East champion Red Sox, who went on to win the World Series. Voting is conducted based solely on regular-season play.
It marked only the second time in the 52-season history of the voting that a Cleveland pitcher was honored. The other was Gaylord Perry in 1972. Perry won a second Cy Young Award, in the National League, with the San Diego Padres in 1978.
The other first-place vote went to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim righthander John Lackey (19-9, 3.01 ERA), who finished third overall with 36 points. Lackey led the league in ERA, was tied for the lead in shutouts (2), tied for second in victories and fifth in innings (224).
Five other pitchers received votes.
The vote:
| Player | Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
| C.C. Sabathia | Indians | 19 | 8 | | 119 |
| Josh Beckett | Red Sox | 8 | 14 | 4 | 86 |
| John Lackey | LA Angels | 1 | 5 | 16 | 36 |
| Fausto Carmona | Indians | | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Eric Bedard | Orioles | | | 1 | 1 |
| Roy Halladay | Blue Jays | | | 1 | 1 |
| Johan Santana | Twins | | | 1 | 1 |
| Justin Verlander | Tigers | | | 1 | 1 |
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