Martínez’s historic season produced third Cy Young Award

Pedro Martínez was already one of the game’s most decorated pitchers when he won his third Cy Young Award on Nov. 13, 2000.

But even that hardware did not fully do justice to a season that might be the best a pitcher has ever authored.

“He just moved in with (Jim) Palmer and (Tom) Seaver and (Sandy) Koufax, and he’s got an opportunity to continue pitching,” Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette told the Associated Press, listing the other three pitchers who had exactly three Cy Young Awards at that point. “He’s reached an extremely high level at a young age.”

Martínez had just turned 29 years old three weeks earlier and had earned his first Cy Young Award with Montreal in 1997 before he was acquired by the Red Sox following that season. After finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 1998, Martínez went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA in 1999 to win the AL award.

In 2000, he was only 18-6 – but Martínez’s other numbers were off the charts. His earned-run average was 1.74 in a season where the league average was 4.91. That produced an ERA+ number of 291 for Martínez, the best figure of any AL/NL pitcher in history with at least 200 innings.

Martínez also led the AL by allowing just 5.31 hits per nine innings, the third-best ratio ever for pitchers with at least 200 innings behind Nolan Ryan’s 5.26 in 1972 and Luis Tiant’s 5.30 in 1968. But both of those campaigns came during seasons where offense in the AL was at historically low levels.

One more mind-boggling number for Martínez: His WHIP ratio (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) was 0.737, easily the best number for any pitcher with at least 200 innings in history.

Martínez was so dominating that the Cy Young Award voting was unanimous – and the runner-up, Oakland’s Tim Hudson who tied for the lead league with 20 wins, was thrilled to finish second.

“Finishing second,” Hudson told the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer, “was beyond my expectations.”

Martínez, however, seemed to take it all in stride.

“I don’t look at the results,” Martínez told the AP. “I don’t even know my numbers. I know (the writers) chose me as the Cy Young winner. I’m very pleased, proud and grateful.”

Martínez became the seventh pitcher to win at least three Cy Young Awards and joined Randy Johnson in 2000 as the sixth and seventh pitchers to win back-to-back awards. But Martínez had his eyes on another prize – one that he would help deliver to Boston in 2004.

“I would trade this award,” Martínez told the AP, “for a chance to play in the World Series.”

Martínez got that chance in 2004, helping pitch the Red Sox to their first title in 86 seasons. He pitched through the 2009 season, finishing with a record of 219-100 before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum