MLB Milestones: deGrom joins shortlist of pitchers to win consecutive Cy Young awards

Consecutive Cy Young Awards Shortlist

Denny McLain (1968-69)

Denny McLain‘s career before and after his consecutive Cy Young seasons were really quite the same, average. From the time he made his pitching debut in 1963 to 1967, McLain pitched to a  .584 W-L% with a 3.57 ERA. After winning his second Cy Young in 1969, from 1970 to 1972 he pitched to a .333 W-L% with a 4.78 ERA.

For two seasons, however, from 1968 to 1969 McLain was the greatest pitcher on the planet. Combined, those seasons McLain won 55 games while pitching to a 2.37 ERA and a 0.997 WHIP.

What’s more, in 1968, McLain accomplished something unheard of in today’s game. He won 31 games, securing his first Cy Young Award and an MVP award. No pitcher had won 31 games in a single season since Lefty Grove did it in 1931 and it hasn’t been done since.

Not only does McLain own a spot in this shortlist, he belongs to another even more exclusive one as well. You see, when McLain earned his Cy Young and MVP award in 1968, he became only the third pitcher ever to do so. Since McLain accomplished the feat, seven others have joined in as well

1. Bob Gibson, 1968
2. Rollie Fingers, 1981
3. Willie Hernandez, 1984
4. Roger Clemens, 1986
5. Dennis Eckersley, 1992
6. Justin Verlander, 2011
7. Clayton Kershaw, 2014