Nationals' Max Scherzer wins NL Cy Young Award for 2nd straight season

Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer has been named the National League Cy Young Award winner for the second consecutive year.

Scherzer went 16-6 for the Nationals and had a career-best 2.51 ERA this season. He also led the National League with 268 strikeouts in 2017.

The 33-year-old received 27 of the 30 first-place votes. Schezer beat out Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and fellow teammate Stephen Strasburg for the honor.

"It means so much to me and I just know how much hard work that was put in by my teammates, the coaches, the training staff," said Scherzer. "Everybody had a hand in this, and tonight, even though I received the award, everybody had a part in this as well."

This is the third time Scherzer has won the Cy Young, earning the award in the American League back in 2013 with the Detroit Tigers. He is one of only ten pitchers to accomplish to win at least three Cy Young Awards and he also becomes the 10th pitcher to win the top pitching award in back-to-back seasons. He is the the sixth pitcher to win a Cy Young in both leagues.

"What more can you say about Max?" said Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo. "To have taken home this award three times already in his career, to be among the shortest of lists when it comes to three-time winners, and an even shorter list of those who've won the award in both leagues, you realize just how special a pitcher we're lucky enough to watch every fifth day. On behalf of the entire Washington Nationals organization, we are elated for Max and incredibly proud to call him one of our own. We look forward to what is to come as he leads our staff in 2018 and beyond. Moreover, we are honored to see that two of our starters finished in the top three in the voting for this award, appropriately honoring the incredible seasons put together by both Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg."

He is the only player since the franchise moved to Washington to win the award and joins Pedro Martinez as the second pitcher in Nationals/Expos history to win a Cy Young.

"When we go out there and compete, it's best when you have the fans behind you cheering you on as much as you can," Scherzer said. "When you are standing on the mound and you have 40,000 people cheering behind you, I can't describe that feeling. For people to be a fan of us, we are very thankful for it and hopefully in 2018 we can accomplish our goal."

In addition to his new award, Scherzer and his wife Erica are expecting their first baby girl in about a week.