Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi finished fourth in the 2021 American League Cy Young race, according to results announced Wednesday evening. Toronto’s Robbie Ray won the award with 29 of 30 first-place votes; the other first-place vote went to New York’s Gerrit Cole, who finished second.
Eovaldi, who had never before placed in a Cy Young race, received eight third-place votes, six fourth-place votes and five fifth-place votes. He was the only member of the Red Sox who received any votes.
Eovaldi, a first-time All-Star in 2021, posted a 3.75 ERA and struck out 195 batters in 182 ⅓ innings over 32 starts. He led the American League in fWAR (5.6) and FIP (2.79) and the majors in both walk rate (4.6%) and walks per nine innings (1.73). He was also among the top two in the AL and the top five in MLB in home runs per nine innings (0.74) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.57).
In his third year of the four-year, $68 million contract he signed in Dec. 2018, Eovaldi was Boston’s most consistent pitcher -- and one of the best in the majors. With Chris Sale out for most of the season, Eovaldi became the staff ace.
“I knew I needed to be able to step up,” Eovaldi said in September. “To be able to stay healthy and be able to contribute as much as I have, it has meant a lot to me. That’s the goal every year, to be dependable, reliable and stay healthy.”
Eovaldi is the highest Red Sox finisher in the Cy Young race since Chris Sale finished fourth in 2018. The last Sox pitcher to win the award was Rick Porcello in 2016.
Complete results:
Robbie Ray, Blue Jays (207 points, 29 first-place votes)
Gerrit Cole, Yankees (123 points, 30 first-place votes)
Lance Lynn, White Sox (48 points)
Nathan Eovaldi, Red Sox (41 points)
Carlos Rodon, White Sox (34 points)
Frankie Montas, Athletics (21 points)
Lance McCullers Jr., Astros (14 points)
Liam Hendriks, White Sox (10 points)
José Berríos, Twins/Blue Jays (8 points)
Chris Bassitt, Athletics (2 points)
Lucas Giolito, White Sox (1 point)
Raisel Iglesias, Angels (1 point)
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