Tim Lincecum Edges Carpenter, Wainwright To Win Second Straight NL Cy Young

Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants was named the 2009 National League Cy Young winner Thursday afternoon, his second straight season taking home the award (they'll make lovely bookends on his mantle). The Freak narrowly edged out St. Louis Cardinals starters Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. He joins Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson and Sandy Koufax as the only NL pitchers to win the award in two consecutive years.

The Giants ace led the NL in strikeouts with 261 in 225 innings pitched. He also finished second to Carpenter in ERA with a 2.48. Lincecum went 15-7 this past season, including a 10-2 record in the first half of the season.

In his career, the 25-year-old Lincecum is 40-17 with a 2.90 ERA. He's widely considered -- even by peers -- as having some of the best stuff in the game.

The vote was expected to be a close one between the three favorites, all of whom got into the act of endorsing a winner.

Lincecum totaled 100 points, including 11 first-place votes. Carpenter was right behind him with 94 points, tying it for the third-smallest margin of victory since 1970. Wainwright finished third with 90, but actually had the most first-place votes (15).

Lincecum (15-7, 2.48) had the fewest victories of any starter to win the Cy Young in a nonstrike season, and he also became only the second pitcher to win the Cy Young without getting the most first-place votes.

Lincecum received 11 first-place votes among the 32 ballots cast, from two writers in each National League City. Wainwright got 12 first-place votes, but he finished third because he had only five second-place votes. Carpenter, the only one of the three who was not named on all 32 ballots, got nine first-place votes and finished second.

Lincecum, who is just 25 years old (and five months), also became the youngest back-to-back Cy Young award winner since Roger Clemens accomplished the feat in 1987, when he was 25 years and three months.

Check with McCovey Chronicles and Viva El Birdos for more reaction and analysis.