Toronto Blue Jay Robbie Ray has won the Cy Young Award as the American League’s best pitcher in 2021.
Ray had a 13-7 record this past season, with a 2.84 earned-run average with 248 strikeouts over 193.1 innings pitched.
His ERA and strikeouts total were the best in the American League in 2021.
It’s the fifth time a Blue Jay has earned the Cy Young, after Pat Hentgen in 1996, Roger Clemens in 1997 and 1998 and Roy Halladay in 2003.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes won the National League Cy Young Award, beating out Los Angeles’ Max Scherzer and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler.
Ray turned down Jays’ offer
The 30-year-old Ray and cash considerations were traded to Toronto by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 31, 2020, in exchange for pitcher Travis Bergen.
Ray is a free agent after declining the one-year, $18.4-million US qualifying offer the Blue Jays made last week. Ray’s decision was expected as he is poised to be one of the most sought-after players in free agency.
Everybody loves Ray, man ???? <a href=”https://t.co/74iRT4pzZF”>pic.twitter.com/74iRT4pzZF</a>
—@BlueJays
Ray’s powerful arm always drew attention. He ranks No. 1 in major league history with 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings (minimum 1,000 innings), and he was an all-star with Arizona in 2017.
But controlling his heat and sharp breaking pitches often was a problem, and Ray bottomed out last year. He led the majors in walks while going a combined 2-5 with a 6.62 ERA for the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays during the pandemic-shortened season.
The dip caused his base salary to drop from $9.43 million to $8 million this year. He earned some of that back with a $125,000 bonus for winning the Cy Young, and figures to cash in even more soon.
Drafted and signed by Washington in 2010, Ray made his big league debut in 2014 with Detroit — that staff also included future Cy Young winners Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello and David Price.
