New York Mets right-hander R.A. Dickey accomplished in 2012 what no other knuckleball pitcher had been able to do previously – win a Cy Young Award. Dickey was an overwhelming choice this year as the outstanding pitcher in the National League as announced on the MLB Network.

Dickey, 38, was named first on 27 ballots and second on the other five of those cast by two writers representing each league city to score 209 points, based on a tabulation system that rewards seven points for first place, four for second, three for third, two for fourth and one for fifth. Dickey was 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA and led the league in innings pitched (233 2/3), strikeouts (230), complete games (5) and shutouts (3). He was the only pitcher listed on every ballot.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (14-9, 2.53 ERA), the 2011 winner, was the runner-up with two first-place votes and 96 points. Receiving one first-place vote apiece were Washington Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez (21-8, 2.89 ERA), who placed third overall; Cincinnati Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto (19-9, 2.78 ERA), who was fourth, and Atlanta Braves right-hander Craig Kimbrel (3-1, 1.01 ERA, 42 SV), who ranked fifth. In all, nine pitchers gained mention.

It marked the fifth time a Mets pitcher has been honored. Tom Seaver won the award in 1969, 1973 and 1975. Dwight Gooden was the winner in 1985.

There had been three Cy Young Award elections, two in the NL and one in the American League, in which a knuckleball pitcher was a runner-up. In the 1979 NL election, the Houston Astros’ Joe Niekro finished second to the Chicago Cubs’ Bruce Sutter, 72-66. In the 1972 AL election, the Chicago White Sox’ Wilbur Wood ran second to the Cleveland Indians’ Gaylord Perry, 64-58. In the 1969 NL election back when voters could chose only one pitcher, the Braves’ Phil Niekro got one vote that prevented a unanimous nod to Seaver.

Kershaw is the eighth Cy Young Award winner and fifth in the NL to finish second the year after he won the award. The others were the Braves’ Warren Spahn in 1958, the Braves’ Tom Glavine in 1992, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Brandon Webb in 2007 and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Roy Halladay in 2011 in the NL; the Oakland A’s Jim “Catfish” Hunter in 1975, the Baltimore Orioles’ Jim Palmer in 1977 and the Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander this year in the AL.

The voting (7-4-3-2-1 scoring system):



2012 NL Cy Young

Pitcher, Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Points R.A. Dickey, Mets 27 5 209 Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers 2 11 10 1 6 96 Gio Gonzalez, Nationals 1 12 6 8 4 93 Johnny Cueto, Reds 1 4 10 10 2 75 Craig Kimbrel, Braves 1 5 5 9 41 Matt Cain, Giants 1 6 7 22 Kyle Lohse, Cardinals 2 2 6 Aroldis Chapman, Reds 1 1 Cole Hamels, Phillies 1 1

Name Affiliation Chapter 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Guy Curtright Honorary ATL Dickey Gonzalez Kimbrel Cueto Kershaw John Harper New York Daily News ATL* Dickey Kershaw Gonzalez Cain Kimbrel Jack Magruder Fox Sports Arizona.com AZ Dickey Kershaw Cueto Gonzalez Kimbrel Tony DeMarco Honorary AZ Dickey Kershaw Gonzalez Cain Kimbrel Bruce Miles Arlington Heights (IL) Daily Herald CHI Dickey Cueto Kershaw Gonzalez Cain Paul Sullivan Chicago Tribune CHI Dickey Gonzalez Cain Cueto Kershaw Mark Schmetzer Reds Report CIN Dickey Gonzalez Cueto Kershaw Hamels John Fay Cincinnati Enquirer CIN Cueto Dickey Kershaw Lohse Gonzalez Patrick Saunders Denver Post COL Gonzalez Dickey Kershaw Cain Kimbrel Jack Etkin Honorary COL Dickey Kershaw Kimbrel Gonzalez Cueto Bob Klapisch Bergen (NJ) Record HOU* Dickey Gonzalez Kershaw Cueto Kimbrel Danny Knobler CBS Sports.com HOU* Dickey Gonzalez Kimbrel Cueto Kershaw Steve Dilbeck Los Angeles Times LA Dickey Kershaw Gonzalez Cueto Cain Tim Brown Yahoo Sports.com LA Kershaw Dickey Cueto Gonzalez Cain Alvin Valdez Hoy MIA Dickey Gonzalez Cueto Cain Lohse Manny Navarro Miami Herald MIA Dickey Gonzalez Cueto Cain Kershaw Dennis Punzel Wisconsin State Journal MIL Dickey Kershaw Kimbrel Cueto Gonzalez Drew Olson ESPN Milwaukee.com MIL Dickey Cueto Kershaw Gonzalez Kimbrel Brian Costa Wall Street Journal NY Dickey Kershaw Gonzalez Cueto Kimbrel Mike Puma New York Post NY Dickey Kershaw Gonzalez Cueto Kimbrel Jerry Crasnick ESPN.com PHI Kershaw Dickey Kimbrel Gonzalez Cain Jim Salibury ComCastSportsNet.com PHI Dickey Gonzalez Kershaw Cueto Cain Dejan Kovacevic Pittsburgh Tribune Review PIT Dickey Cueto Kershaw Kimbrel Gonzalez Ron Cook Pittsburgh Post Gazette PIT Dickey Cueto Gonzalez Kimbrel Kershaw Chris Jenkins U-T San Diego SD Dickey Gonzalez Cueto Cain Kershaw Bill Center U-T San Diego SD Dickey Gonzalez Cueto Kimbrel Chapman Alexander Pavlovic San Jose Mercury News SF Dickey Kershaw Cueto Gonzalez Cain John Shea San Francisco Chronicle SF Dickey Gonzalez Kershaw Kimbrel Cain Bernie Miklasz St. Louis Post Dispatch STL Dickey Kershaw Cueto Gonzalez Lohse Derrick Goold St. Louis Post Dispatch STL Dickey Kershaw Cueto Lohse Kimbrel Mark Zuckerman CSNWashington.com WAS Dickey Gonzalez Kershaw Kimbrel Cueto Tim Kurkjian ESPN.com WAS Kimbrel Dickey Kershaw Cueto Gonzalez

Below is a breakdown of the 32 individual ballots, submitted by two writers representing each team in the National League. Note that in some cases (*), when a city does not have enough eligible voters, a writer from another city will represent that chapter. For more information on the voting, see our Voting FAQ