Cy Young Winners 2022: Who were elected the best pitchers in the AL and NL?

Last night, the most coveted award in the MLB for a pitcher was handed out: the Cy Young Award. Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins and Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros were voted the top pitchers in their respective leagues, commanding 100% of the first-place votes during the election process.

It was only the second time in the award's history that the winners were elected unanimously, with the first coming in 1968 when Bob Gibson and Denny McLain took home the top pitching prize.

National League winner Sandy Alcantara dominated the league from start to finish, securing the 27-year-old Dominican pitcher his first major award in the MLB. The Marlins ace threw a league-leading 228.2 innings, a whopping 23.2 more than second-placed Aaron Nola.

"A special season in South Beach. Sandy Alcantara is your 2022 NL Cy Young winner!" - MLB

Alcantara was one of the most effective pitchers in the league, finishing the season with the most complete games pitched, as well as the highest WAR among all pitchers. His six complete games were double that of second-placed Framber Valdez, who threw three complete games for the Astros.

He finished the season with a win/loss record of 14-9, which is more impressive than it sounds, considering the Miami Marlins only managed to win 69 games last season. Sandy concluded his Cy Young award-winning season with a 2.28 ERA, while racking up 207 strikeouts, and also posting a dazzling 0.980 WHIP (walks & hits per inning pitched).

"Sandy Alcantara made a name for himself in 2022. (MLB x @MattressFirm)" - MLB

Justin Verlander wins his third career Cy Young Award

The 39-year-old starting pitcher continued to prove that age is just a number as he dominated the 2022 season, walking away with his third career Cy Young Award. Not only did Verlander deliver one of the best seasons of his Hall of Fame career, but he also had one of the best seasons of all time.

"More hardware for Justin Verlander’s shelf." - MLB

He finished the season with an ERA of 1.75 while recording 185 strikeouts and posting a 18-4 record for the Houston Astros. He also finished the 2022 season with his second career World Series championship as the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.

Verlander's legendary resume continues to grow as he adds another Cy Young Award and another World Series ring to his trophy room. His first win came in 2011 with the Detroit Tigers. He followed that with a second award win in 2019 with the Astros.

It's safe to say that Justin Verlander will walk into the National Baseball Hall of Fame when first eligible.