Astros' Verlander joins elite company with 3rd career AL Cy Young

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander capped an incredible comeback season by winning his third career American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday.

Verlander was the unanimous choice over Chicago White Sox righty Dylan Cease and Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Alek Manoah. He becomes the 11th pitcher with three or more Cy Youngs. Seven of the other 10 three-time winners are in the Hall of Fame.

Verlander, Cease, and Manoah were the only pitchers named on every ballot. The only other hurler to receive second-place votes was Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who garnered Cy Young consideration for the first time.

Here's the full breakdown of the top five, as voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America:

Verlander's win caps one of the most incredible comeback campaigns in baseball history. After missing all of 2021 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, he returned to lead the AL in wins (18), ERA (1.75), ERA+ (220), and WHIP (0.83) during 28 starts for the world-champion Astros.

"I've just really tried to enjoy this ride - and just be very present and appreciate every moment because it was almost taken away from me," he told MLB Network after winning the award.

The 39-year-old is the first pitcher to win the Cy Young after not pitching in the previous season, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

He's now won the Cy Young in each of his last two full seasons, having bested then-teammate Gerrit Cole for the honor in 2019. Verlander finished either first or second in voting during each of his three full seasons with the Astros. He placed fifth in 2017, a year he split between the Detroit Tigers and Houston.

This is Verlander's second unanimous win; he previously swept the voting in 2011 with Detroit, when he was also named AL MVP. He joins Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, and Johan Santana as the only two-time unanimous winners in AL history.

He's the first pitcher to win multiple Cy Youngs with the Astros. Mike Scott (1986), Clemens (2004), and Dallas Keuchel (2015) each won the award once with the franchise.

Shane McClanahan, Shane Bieber, Nestor Cortes, Cole, and Kevin Gausman all received down-ballot votes.