Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians was elected the American League Cy Young Award winner in balloting by the BBWAA. It marked the second consecutive year and third time overall that a Cleveland pitcher was honored. CC Sabathia won last year. The other Indians winner was Gaylord Perry in 1972.

Lee was named first on 24 and second on the other four of the 28 ballots cast by two writers in each league city for a total of 132 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. The lefthander, 30, was 22-3 in leading the AL in victories, winning percentage (.880) and ERA (2.54) and adding career-high totals of innings (223 1/3) and strikeouts (170) with four complete games and two shutouts. Lee, the starting pitcher for the AL in the All-Star Game July 15 at Yankee Stadium, was the only pitcher named on all ballots.

The other four first-place votes went to Toronto Blue Jays righthander Roy Halladay, who was the runner-up with 71 points. Halladay, the 2003 winner, had a 20-11 record with a 2.78 ERA and led the major leagues in innings (246) and complete games (9). Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim reliever Francisco Rodriguez (2-3, 2.24 ERA), who set a major league record with 62 saves, finished third with 32 points. Four other pitchers received votes.

This was the fifth time two different pitchers from the same team won the AL Cy Young Award in successive years. The others were the New York Yankees' Sparky Lyle (1977) and Ron Guidry (1978), the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Flanagan (1979) and Steve Stone (1980), the Milwaukee Brewers' Rollie Fingers (1981) and Pete Vuckovich (1982) and the Blue Jays' Pat Hentgen (1996) and Roger Clemens (1997). It has happened three times in the National League.

The vote:

Previous winners (*—Unanimous):
2007 CC SABATHIA, Cleveland Indians; 2006 *JOHAN SANTANA, Minnesota Twins; 2005 BARTOLO COLON, Los Angeles Angels; 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.