Warren Spahn Award

Last updated
Warren Spahn Award
Warren Spahn 1953.jpg
Warren Spahn in 1953
Sport Baseball
League Major League Baseball
Awarded forBest left-handed pitcher
Presented by Oklahoma Sports Museum
History
First award1999
Most recent Blake Snell (SD)
Website Official website

The Warren Spahn Award is presented each season by the Oklahoma Sports Museum to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). The award is named after Warren Spahn, who holds the MLB record in wins for a left-handed pitcher with 363. [1] The Warren Spahn Award was created in 1999 by Richard Hendricks, the founder of the Oklahoma Sports Museum, to honor Spahn, who resided in Oklahoma. [2] The award was presented at the Masonic Temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma until 2009, when the Bricktown Rotary Club became a sponsor of the award. [2] Since 2009, the award is presented at the annual Warren Spahn Award Gala, hosted by the Bricktown Rotary Club of Oklahoma City at the Jim Thorpe Museum every January. [1]

Contents

The award has been won by 14 different pitchers. The winner is chosen based on rankings, which are based on wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. [1] [2] The most recent recipient is Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres. Randy Johnson received the first four awards from 1999 through 2002. He attended the awards ceremony due to his respect for Spahn, who called him personally to ask him to attend. [2] CC Sabathia (2007–2009), Johan Santana (2004, 2006), Clayton Kershaw (2011, 2013, 2014, 2017), and Blake Snell (2018, 2023) are also multiple Warren Spahn Award winners. Johnson (1999–2002), Santana (2004, 2006), Sabathia (2007) and Kershaw (2011, 2013, 2014), and Snell (2018, 2023) also won the Cy Young Award, given annually to the best pitcher in each league, in years they won the Warren Spahn Award. [3] Santana (2004, 2006), Sabathia (2007), Kershaw (2011, 2013, 2014), and Keuchel (2015) won the Pitcher of the Year Award, given annually to the most outstanding pitcher in each league, in years they won the Warren Spahn Award. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

There has been one tie-break in the Warren Spahn Award's history, which occurred when Sabathia defeated the Houston Astros' Wandy Rodríguez to earn his third consecutive award in 2009. [11] The tie-break was decided based on winning percentage. [12]

Winners

Randy Johnson won the first four Warren Spahn Awards. Randy Johnson 04.jpg
Randy Johnson won the first four Warren Spahn Awards.
Johan Santana won the Major League Baseball Triple Crown the year of his second Warren Spahn Award. Johan Santana 20060602.jpg
Johan Santana won the Major League Baseball Triple Crown the year of his second Warren Spahn Award.
Lester pitching in the 2016 National League Championship Series Jon Lester Game 5 of 2016 NLCS 8.jpg
Lester pitching in the 2016 National League Championship Series
Key
YearThe MLB season the award was given
Player (X)Denotes winning player and number of times they had won the award at that point (if more than one)
W Wins
ERA Earned run average
K Strikeouts
Indicates player won the Cy Young Award that season
ItalicsIndicates player led MLB in that category
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Winners
YearPitcherTeam(s)WERAKRefs
1999 Randy Johnson †‡ Arizona Diamondbacks 172.48364 [14] [15]
2000 Randy Johnson (2)†‡ Arizona Diamondbacks 192.64347 [14]
2001 Randy Johnson (3)†‡ Arizona Diamondbacks 212.49372 [14] [16]
2002 Randy Johnson (4)†‡ Arizona Diamondbacks 242.32334 [14] [17]
2003 Andy Pettitte New York Yankees 214.02180 [18] [19]
2004 Johan Santana Minnesota Twins 202.61265 [20] [21]
2005 Dontrelle Willis Florida Marlins 222.63180 [22] [23]
2006 Johan Santana (2) Minnesota Twins 192.77245 [21] [24]
2007 CC Sabathia Cleveland Indians 193.21209 [25] [26]
2008 CC Sabathia (2) Cleveland Indians  /
  Milwaukee Brewers
172.70251 [26] [27]
2009 CC Sabathia (3) New York Yankees 193.37197 [11] [26]
2010 David Price Tampa Bay Rays 192.72188 [28] [29]
2011 Clayton Kershaw Los Angeles Dodgers 212.28248 [30] [31]
2012 Gio Gonzalez Washington Nationals 212.89207 [32] [33]
2013 Clayton Kershaw (2) Los Angeles Dodgers 161.83232 [34]
2014 Clayton Kershaw (3) Los Angeles Dodgers 211.77239 [35]
2015 Dallas Keuchel Houston Astros 202.48216 [9]
2016 Jon Lester Chicago Cubs 192.44197 [10]
2017 Clayton Kershaw (4) Los Angeles Dodgers 182.31202 [36]
2018 Blake Snell Tampa Bay Rays 211.89221 [37]
2019 Patrick Corbin Washington Nationals 143.25238 [38]
2020 Hyun-jin Ryu Toronto Blue Jays 52.6972 [39]
2021 Julio Urías Los Angeles Dodgers 202.96195 [40]
2022 Julio Urías (2) Los Angeles Dodgers 172.16166 [41]
2023 Blake Snell (2) San Diego Padres 142.25234 [42]

See also

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