The Cincinnati Reds have never had a Cy Young Award winner in the history of the franchise. Perhaps they would have if the award had existed as long as the game had, but it wasn’t created until 1956, and it wasn’t until 1967 that the award went out to a player in each league. The Reds have come close a few times, with Tom Seaver (1981), Mario Soto (1983), Danny Jackson (1988), Pete Schourek (1995), and Johnny Cueto (2014) all finishing in second place. Today Trevor Bauer changed all of that as he was named as the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner.
Trevor Bauer led the National League in ERA, WHIP, batting average against, hits allowed per 9-innings pitched, shutouts, and ERA+. He also finished second in the league in strikeouts and strikeouts per 9-innings pitched. As a fun little side note, Trevor Bauer’s 276 ERA+ is easily the best in franchise history for qualified starting pitchers (of course in a 60-game season it’s easier to do than in a 162 game season). Only Ted Abernathy, a reliever on the 1967 Reds, had a better ERA+. He threw 106.0 innings that season with a 1.27 ERA and an ERA+ of 299.
With all of the ballots in, Trevor Bauer got 27 of the 30 first place votes. He received three second place votes. There were 30 votes – two from each city that has a National League team. The three voters who gave Bauer second place votes were Gordon Wittenmyer (Darvish 1st, NBC Sports Chicago), John Perrotto (Darvish 1st, USA Today), and AJ Cassavell (Darvish 1st, MLB.com). Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer and Mark Sheldon of MLB.com were the two Cincinnati writers who got a vote this year, and both vote for Bauer as their selection. You can see the entire voting breakdown here.
In the end, the voting wasn’t close. Trevor Bauer had 27 of the 30 first place votes and 201 total “points”. Yu Darvish landed the other three first place votes and had a total of 123 points. No one else topped 89 points.
Well deserved award for Bauer.
So very Reds that they finally get a Cy Young winner only to have to say goodbye to him immediately!
Wow! That’s an overwhelming vote for Trevor. Very happy for him and for us to finally have a Cy Young winner.
Yes!!! He deserved it, nts. It’s a shame we will probably lose him. If some of our hitting had his competitive spirit, we would have been right there at the end. Trevor Bauer is a man’s man!!! Congrats, Trevor.
News that Lorenzen will be heading into 2021 as a starter , to me, implies the Reds have basically moved on. But, boy, it was fun while it lasted.
News that Lorenzen will be heading into 2021 as a starter , to me, implies the Reds have basically moved on. But, boy, it was fun while it lasted.
The “news” was the Lorenzen said he was going to go into spring and try to make it as a starter. He never said that the team told him that. He’s basically said the same thing every offseason since he has been in the Major Leagues. It’s not really news in any way other than he said he wants to do it.
Congrats to Bauer, well deserved and earned. Hoping the Reds can find a way to bring him back.
Congratulations Trevor! Well deserved! And congratulations to all those who helped him this year – Derek Johnson, Casili, Tucker, David Bell, etc., etc.
Well deserved … and good to see vote wasn’t close.
If Bauer reads these comments… may he know he is valued and appreciated by this fan. Thank you.
It’s just so very hard for me. I mean, I hope the owners cough up the money to keep him; I hope he re-signs. But, we need help with our offense, badly.
If there was anything for our pitching, it would be in Boddy (?) and his work. I would hope in a year or 2 more, we would see some products of his work with the minor leaguers.
Congratulations to Bauer. He deserves the reward.
Link to the ESPN interview with Bauer: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=30300796
Congratulations to Trevor Bauer. I and others appreciate your work ethic and competitive spirit.
The only fitting outcome for a fantastic season. I tip my Reds cap to you Trevor Bauer! It was great fun watching him pitch and compete and lead the Reds to the 2020 playoffs. I would love to see him back in Cincinnati Red and hope the team makes him a fair offer for another two years on the GABP mound. Playing baseball is supposed to be fun. It’s pretty cool that Trevor Bauer found a home to play the game his way this year and it was certainly fun to watch. Congratulations!!
Congrats TB! How about resigning with the Reds and going for back-to-back Cy Youngs?!
Congratulations Trevor!! My favorite Red in several years. I truly hope we re-rign him. Not just for his immense talent, but also for his candid insights into the game.
Because we can’t have nice things in Cincinnati… our only Cy award came in a year with only 60 games, none of which had fans in attendance, for a pitcher in his walk year that likely won’t return.
Trevor, thanks for the great year, your work ethic and tenacity, and for helping to get the Reds into the postseason. I wish you well in seasons to come, unless it is for a different NL central team.
It’s touch to imagine how Mr. Bauer’s time in Cincinnati (up to now) could have been any better for all parties involved.
Based on his leadership role (competitively and his coaching other pitchers), I think resigning him and investing big is the way to go.
With a rotation akin to last years, the Reds can guarantee a playoff hunt for the next two years running.
I want to also add that this Cy Young award certainly helps alleviate some of my apprehension on the trade with the dodgers that resulted in the Puig for Bauer trade. I will always remember this past year for sure.