Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins was a unanimous choice for the American League Cy Young Award in balloting by the BBWAA. It marked the second time in the past three years that Santana has won this award by a unanimous vote.

Santana was listed first on all 28 ballots cast by two writers in each league city to score a perfect 140 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulation system. He was the only pitcher on every ballot. The lefthander, 27, led the league in ERA (2.77), innings pitched (233 ⅔), strikeouts (245) and starts (34). He was tied for first in victories (19) and for the longest winning streak (9 games).

For the second consecutive year, a New York Yankees pitcher was the runnerup. Last year it was Mariano Rivera. This year it was righthander Chien-Ming Wang (19-6, 3.63 ERA), who scored 51 points based on 15 second-place votes and six thirds. Toronto Blue Jays righthander Roy Halladay, the winner in 2003, was second on 12 ballots and third on another 12 to finish third overall.

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the only pitcher to win this award three times unanimously, and he did it when it was given to only one pitcher before voting in both leagues began in 1967. Santana is only the fourth pitcher overall and third in the AL to be unanimous twice. The others in the AL were Roger Clemens with the Boston Red Sox in 1986 and Toronto in 1998 and Pedro Martinez with Boston in 1999 and 2000. In the National League, Atlanta's Greg Maddux was unanimous in 1994 and ’95.

This is the fourth Cy Young victory for a Minnesota pitcher. In addition to Santana in 2004, other Twins winners were Frank Viola in 1988 and Jim Perry in 1970.

Special advisory to BBWAA members: Santana's availability today (Nov. 16) will be at 4 p.m. EST, one hour later than originally scheduled.

The vote:

Previous winners (*—Unanimous):
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.