Jered Weaver pitched a no-hitter, won 20 games and led the American League in two of the more important stats that measure pitchers, but he didn’t win the Cy Young Award that was announced Wednesday.
The Angels right-hander surely could make a convincing case for himself, but Tampa Bay left-hander David Price edged Detroit’s Justin Verlander in one of the closest races in the history of balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Weaver was third.
Price picked up 14 of 28 first-place votes and totaled 153 points. Verlander had 13 votes for first and 149 points. Weaver had two second-place votes and 14 for third. He had 70 total points.
Tampa Bay Rays closer Fernando Rodney, a former Angel, was the only other player to receive a first-place vote and finished fifth overall behind Felix Hernandez of Seattle.
The voting was the closest since 1969 when Mike Cuellar of the Baltimore Orioles and Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers tied for the award. But voters could select only one pitcher that year.
Weaver tied Price for most wins, was third in ERA (2.81) and first in WHIP (walks and hits per inning, 1.02) and opponents’ batting average (.214). But his total of 188 2/3 innings ranked 20th in the league, which clearly worked against his candidacy.
The Angels were 23-7 in games Weaver started, and he ran off 10 consecutive wins from May 18 to Aug. 6 when he was clearly the best pitcher in the AL. He also no-hit the Minnesota Twins on May 2.
But he was slowed twice by injuries, a bad back in late May and biceps tendinitis that forced him to miss a couple of starts in September.
Weaver is likely feeling like a bridesmaid with his third-place finish. He was second to Verlander last year and fifth in 2010.
