Sabathia Beats Out Beckett For Cy Young

Had the voting for the Cy Young Award been taken after the playoffs, I think it's safe to say that Josh Beckett would have been a runaway winner. Unfortunately for Josh, that's just not the way things work, though I'm sure the World Series ring is a fantastic consolation prize.

The voting is based on the regular season, and the votes say that Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia is the Cy Young Award winner in the American League.

In voting conducted by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Sabathia beat Boston's Josh Beckett for his first American League Cy Young Award. He is only the second pitcher in Indians history to win the award -- the first being Gaylord Perry, who won it in 1972.

Sabathia went 19-7 for the Indians this season as he was the ace of a starting staff that led the Indians to an AL Central title, and a trip to the ALCS. Sabathia set all sorts of career highs this season, in wins, ERA (3.21), innings pitched (241, led the Majors), strikouts (209), and perhaps most importantly, games started (34).

Sabathia has always been a dominant pitcher, but he had always had trouble staying healthy. I don't think it's a coincidence that the first year he stayed healthy for a whole season he ends up winning the Cy Young Award.

All of which is probably going to lead to quite a hefty contract extension from the Indians before too long.