Kluber, 28, beat out the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez and the White Sox’s Chris Sale for the award.
SN AWARDS: Kershaw Player of the Year | AL rookie | NL rookie | Managers | AL All-Stars | NL All-Stars
Kluber led the AL in wins (18), bWAR for pitchers (7.4), fielding-independent pitching (2.35) and games started (34) while finishing second in strikeouts (269).
He maintained his low-key manner when his name was called on the MLB Network broadcast Wednesday night.
“I think I’m definitely surprised,” he later said.
His plans after the announcement were far from flashy.
“Probably go home and give my daughters a bath,” he said.
Hernandez, who won the award in 2010, said he was “a little disappointed” about finishing second. He tried to shift the focus to team achievements.
“My goal is to win the whole thing with this team right here, the Seattle Mariners,” he told reporters, per The Seattle Times. “The fans deserve it. Individual stuff doesn’t matter, it’s the team.”
Contributing: Tom Gatto, The Associated Press
