Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda finishes second to Shane Bieber in AL Cy Young Award voting

Kenta Maeda of the Twins finished second in the American League Cy Young voting to Cleveland's Shane Bieber, who was a unanimous winner (all 30 first-place votes and 210 points). Maeda got 18 second-place votes, four third-place votes, two fourth-place votes, and four fifth-place votes, meaning he was left off two ballots.

Bieber went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts, leading the major leagues in all three categories. Maeda was 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

Jim Perry, Frank Viola and Johan Santana (twice) are Twins pitchers who have won the AL Cy Young.

Trevor Bauer of Cincinnati won the NL Award.

Maeda's runner-up finish is the highest by a Twin since Santana's second Cy Young victory in 2006. He's only the third Twins pitcher to receive a vote on the three-pitcher ballot in the past decade, joining Ervin Santana, who finished seventh in the balloting in 2017, and Phil Hughes, seventh in 2014. And Maeda is the first Twin to finish second since Scott Erickson, runner-up to Roger Clemens in 1991.

Here's a list of every Twins pitcher who ever received a Cy Young vote:

Year — Twins pitcher, finish (winner), 1st-pl votes, total points

2020 -- Kenta Maeda, 2nd (Bieber), 0, 92

2017 — Ervin Santana, 7th (Kluber), 0, 3

2014 — Phil Hughes, 7th (Kluber), 0, 6

2010 — Francisco Liriano, 11th (F.Hernandez), 0, 1

2007 — Johan Santana, t-5th (Sabathia), 0, 1

2006 — Johan Santana, 1st, 28, 140

2005 — Johan Santana, 3rd (Colon), 3, 51

2004 — Johan Santana, 1st, 28, 140

2003 — Johan Santana, t-7th (Halladay), 0, 1

1997 — Brad Radke, 3rd (Clemens), 0, 17

1991 — Scott Erickson, 2nd (Clemens), 3, 56

Jack Morris, 4th, 3, 17

Kevin Tapani, 7th, 1, 6

1988 — Frank Viola, 1st, 27, 138

1987 — Frank Viola, t-6th (Clemens), 0, 5

Jeff Rearson, 8th, 0, 4

1985 — Bert Blyleven, t-3rd (Saberhagen), 1, 9

1984 — Frank Viola, 6th (W.Hernandez), 0, 2

1979 — Mike Marshall, 5th (Flanagan), 0, 7

Jerry Koosman, 6th, 0, 5

1978 — Mike Marshall, t-7th (Guidry), 0, 1

1977 — Dave Goltz, t-6th (Lyle), 1, 19

1976 — Bill Campbell, 7th (Palmer), 0, 7

1973 — Bert Blyleven, t-7th (Palmer), 0, 1

1970 — Jim Perry, 1st, 6, 55

1969 — Jim Perry, 3rd (Cuellar), 3, 3

Maeda photo by Carlos Gonzalez