9 Cy Young Winners With The Worst Records

The Cy Young Award is handed out annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball as voted on by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. It was introduced in 1956 following the death of the Hall of Fame pitcher with the same name.

Since, it’s been used to honor greatness on the mound. Through 1966, it was awarded to a single player in the MLB. Since 1967, it’s recognized two winners – one from the American League and another from the National League.

Through the years, a number of notable names have gone on to win the award. In other instances, unexpected candidates have flashed greatness across one single season.

Wins and losses are not always indicative of performance. Sometimes, you have to dig deeper to find a pitcher’s value. These players overcame subpar records to emerge victorious. Below are the nine past winners with the worst win percentages in their Cy Young seasons.

Gaylord Perry (1972)

Gaylord Perry started 40 games for Cleveland in 1972, posting an ERA of 1.92. He threw a ridiculous 342.2 innings with 29 complete games.

Perry had 24 wins and 16 losses for a winning percentage of 60%. He even recorded a save in a true do-it-all season.

Jacob deGrom (2019)

Jacob deGrom won a 2019 Cy Young with the New York Mets. He went 11-8 during that campaign, a win percentage of 57.9%.

In that season, the righty posted a 2.43 ERA with 255 strikeouts in just 204 frames.

Mark Davis (1989)

Mark Davis earned a Cy Young in 1989 with the San Diego Padres despite going just 4-3. His 57.1% ranks as the seventh-worst win percentage amongst winners.

Davis was a reliever that racked up 44 saves. He posted an ERA of 1.85 to go along with 92 strikeouts.

Mike Marshall (1974)

Mike Marshall is another reliever on the list, and the winner of a 1974 Cy Young award.

He went 15-12 with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a winning percentage of 55.6% while appearing in 106 games. He also recorded 21 saves.

Trevor Bauer (2020)

Trevor Bauer won a Cy Young in the shortened 2020 season that spanned 60 games.

The righty posted a 5-4 record with the Reds, good for a win percentage of 55.6%, while posting a 1.73 ERA across 11 starts.

Jacob deGrom (2018)

Jacob deGrom makes a second appearance on the list thanks to his 2018 Cy Young season.

Also with the Mets, deGrom went 10-9 with an ERA of 1.70. His 52.6%-win rate ranks as the fourth-worst amongst award winners.

Felix Hernandez (2010)

Felix Hernandez won a 2010 Cy Young with the Seattle Mariners. He posted a 2.27 ERA in 34 starts.

Hernandez went 13-12 with a win percentage of 52%. He threw six complete games and struck out 232 batters.

Bruce Sutter (1979)

Bruce Sutter won just 50% of his games in 1979, going 6-6 across 62 contests. He made his living as a closer for the Cubs.

Sutter racked up 37 saves and an ERA of 2.22. He struck out 110 batters while allowing just 67 hits across 101.1 innings.

Eric Gagne (2003)

Eric Gagne is the only Cy Young winner to post a losing record after going 2-3 in 2003.

A closer, he tallied 55 saves with the Dodgers while notching a 1.20 ERA. He averaged nearly 15 strikeouts per nine innings, the highest of any Cy Young recipient.