"In an otherwise dismal season for his team, Felix Hernandez maintained a consistent level of excellence rarely demonstrated by the other 24 players around him. And today, for the second time in Mariners history, they have a Cy Young Award winner in their midst.

Hernandez was selected the AL Cy Young winner, notching 21 of 28 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America, outdistancing rivals David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays and C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees. Price garnered four first-place votes, while third-place finisher Sabathia had three.

Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox was fourth. Jered Weaver of the Angels placed fifth.

Randy Johnson was the only previous M's Cy Young winner, capturing the prize in 1995.

Hernandez's victory may have set an historic precedent in terms of how "wins" by a pitcher are viewed. His 13 wins sets a new low for that total by a Cy Young-winning starting pitcher, surpassing the previous 15 by NL winner Tim Lincecum last season.

The previous low in wins by an AL starting pitcher also came last season, when 16-game-winner Zack Greinke took home the prize.

In winning the award, Hernandez had to overcome not only his competitors, but the handicaps presented by his own team. The Mariners supplied him with the worst offense of the designated-hitter era, a group of bats that often struggled to score a single run when he was on the mound."