Bartolo Colon of the Los Angeles Angels was named the winner of the American League Cy Young Award in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The righthander, 32, is only the second winner of this award in the franchise's 45-season history and the first since Dean Chance in 1964.

Colon was first on 17 ballots and second on the other 11 of the 28 cast by two writers in each league city to score 118 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. He was the only pitcher named to every ballot.

Colon's 21-8 record marked the first 20-victory season for an Angels pitcher since 1974 when Nolan Ryan was 22-16. In 1973, Ryan was 21-16 and finished second in the Cy Young balloting (behind the Baltimore Orioles' Jim Palmer), the closest an Angels pitcher since Chance came to winning before this year. Ryan never won the Cy Young Award. Colon, whose 3.48 ERA ranked eighth in the league, was the AL's only 20-game winner. He was remarkably consistent, posting records of 11-5 with a 3.42 ERA before the All-Star Game and 10-3 with a 3.55 ERA after the break.

New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera (7-4, 1.38 ERA, 43 SV) received eight first-place votes and was the runner-up with 68 points. The other three first-place voters went to the 2004 winner, Minnesota Twins lefthander Johan Santana (16-7, 2.87 ERA, 238 Ks in 231 2/3 IP), who finished third overall with 51 points.

Also gaining mention were the Cleveland Indians' Cliff Lee (18-5, 3.79 ERA) and Kevin Millwood (9-11, 2.86 ERA) and the Chicago White Sox' Mark Buehrle (16-8, 3.12) and Jon Garland (18-10, 3.50 ERA).

The vote:

Previous winners (*—Unanimous):
2004 *JOHAN SANTANA, Minnesota Twins; 2003 ROY HALLADAY, Toronto Blue Jays; 2002 BARRY ZITO, Oakland Athletics; 2001 ROGER CLEMENS, New York Yankees; 2000 *PEDRO MARTINEZ, Boston Red Sox; 1999 *PEDRO MARTINEZ, Boston Red Sox; 1998 *ROGER CLEMENS, Toronto Blue Jays; 1997 ROGER CLEMENS, Toronto Blue Jays; 1996 PAT HENTGEN, Toronto Blue Jays; 1995 RANDY JOHNSON, Seattle Mariners; 1994 DAVID CONE, Kansas City Royals; 1993 JACK McDOWELL, Chicago White Sox; 1992 DENNIS ECKERSLEY, Oakland Athletics; 1991 ROGER CLEMENS, Boston Red Sox; 1990 BOB WELCH, Oakland Athletics; 1989 BRET SABERHAGEN, Kansas City Royals; 1988 FRANK VIOLA, Minnesota Twins; 1987 ROGER CLEMENS, Boston Red Sox; 1986 *ROGER CLEMENS, Boston Red Sox; 1985 BRET SABERHAGEN, Kansas City Royals; 1984 GUILLERMO (WILLIE) HERNANDEZ, Detroit Tigers; 1983 LaMARR HOYT, Chicago White Sox; 1982 PETE VUCKOVICH, Milwaukee Brewers; 1981 ROLLIE FINGERS, Milwaukee Brewers; 1980 STEVE STONE, Baltimore Orioles; 1979 MIKE FLANAGAN, Baltimore Orioles; 1978 *RON GUIDRY, New York Yankees; 1977 SPARKY LYLE, New York Yankees; 1976 JIM PALMER, Baltimore Orioles; 1975 JIM PALMER, Baltimore Orioles; 1974 JIM (CATFISH) HUNTER, Oakland Athletics; 1973 JIM PALMER, Baltimore Orioles; 1972 GAYLORD PERRY, Cleveland Indians; 1971 VIDA BLUE, Oakland Athletics; 1970 JIM PERRY, Minnesota Twins; 1969 (Tie) MIKE CUELLAR, Baltimore Orioles, and DENNY McLAIN, Detroit Tigers; 1968 *DENNY McLAIN, Detroit Tigers; 1967 JIM LONBORG, Boston Red Sox; 1964 DEAN CHANCE, Los Angeles Angels; 1961 WHITEY FORD, New York Yankees; 1959 EARLY WYNN, Chicago White Sox; 1958 BOB TURLEY, New York Yankees

Note: One award given from 1956-66; NL pitchers won in 1956-57, '60, '62-63 and '65-66.