Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Brandon Webb, who tied for the league lead in victories and shutouts, won the National League Cy Young Award in balloting by the BBWAA.

Of 32 ballots submitted by two writers in each league city, Webb was listed first on 15, second on seven and third on seven for a total of 103 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. No pitcher was on every ballot. Webb had a 16-8 record with a 3.10 ERA in a career-high 235 innings, second in the NL. He was tied with five other pitchers for the most victories. Webb's three shutouts matched that of the St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Carpenter (15-8, 3.09 ERA), the 2005 winner who had two first-place votes this year and finished third.

The runner-up in the ’06 voting was San Diego Padres reliever Trevor Hoffman (0-2, 2.14 ERA, 46 SV), who was first on 12 ballots, second on three and third on eight for 77 points. The other three first-place votes went to the Houston Astros' Roy Oswalt (15-8, 2.98 ERA), who was fourth overall.

It marked the fifth time a Diamondbacks pitcher won the award. Randy Johnson was a winner four years in a row from 1999 through 2002. Webb's victory total was the lowest for a starting pitcher Cy Young Award winner in a complete season. The previous low had been 17 victories, by Johnson (17-9 in 1999) and Pedro Martinez (17-8 for the Montreal Expos in 1997). The Los Angeles' Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela was 13-7 in 1981 and the Atlanta Braves' Greg Maddux 16-6 in 1994, but those seasons were abbreviated because of players' strikes.

The vote:

Previous winners (*—Unanimous):
2005 CHRIS CARPENTER, St. Louis Cardinals; 2004 ROGER CLEMENS, Houston Astros; 2003 ERIC GAGNE, Los Angeles Dodgers; 2002 *RANDY JOHNSON, Arizona Diamondbacks; 2001 RANDY JOHNSON, Arizona Diamondbacks; 2000 RANDY JOHNSON, Arizona Diamondbacks; 1999 RANDY JOHNSON, Arizona Diamondbacks; 1998 TOM GLAVINE, Atlanta Braves; 1997 PEDRO MARTINEZ, Montreal Expos; 1996 JOHN SMOLTZ, Atlanta Braves; 1995 *GREG MADDUX, Atlanta Braves; 1994 *GREG MADDUX, Atlanta Braves; 1993 GREG MADDUX, Atlanta Braves; 1992 GREG MADDUX, Chicago Cubs; 1991 TOM GLAVINE, Atlanta Braves; 1990 DOUG DRABEK, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1989 MARK DAVIS, San Diego Padres; 1988 *OREL HERSHISER, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1987 STEVE BEDROSIAN, Philadelphia Phillies; 1986 MIKE SCOTT, Houston Astros; 1985 *DWIGHT GOODEN, New York Mets; 1984 *RICK SUTCLIFFE, Chicago Cubs; 1983 JOHN DENNY, Philadelphia Phillies; 1982 STEVE CARLTON, Philadelphia Phillies; 1981 FERNANDO VALENZUELA, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1980 STEVE CARLTON, Philadelphia Phillies; 1979 BRUCE SUTTER, Chicago Cubs; 1978 GAYLORD PERRY, San Diego Padres; 1977 STEVE CARLTON, Philadelphia Phillies; 1976 RANDY JONES, San Diego Padres; 1975 TOM SEAVER, New York Mets; 1974 MIKE MARSHALL, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1973 TOM SEAVER, New York Mets; 1972 *STEVE CARLTON, Philadelphia Phillies; 1971 FERGUSON JENKINS, Chicago Cubs; 1970 BOB GIBSON, St. Louis Cardinals; 1969 TOM SEAVER, New York Mets; 1968 *BOB GIBSON, St. Louis Cardinals; 1967 MIKE McCORMICK, San Francisco Giants; 1966 *SANDY KOUFAX, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1965 *SANDY KOUFAX, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1963 *SANDY KOUFAX, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1962 DON DRYSDALE, Los Angeles Dodgers; 1960 VERNON LAW, Pittsburgh Pirates; 1957 WARREN SPAHN, Milwaukee Braves; 1956 DON NEWCOMBE, Brooklyn Dodgers.

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