Webb did post phenomenal numbers during the first two months of the season, going 8-0 with a 2.01 ERA in April and May.  He faltered a bit in June, August, and in his lone October start, going 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA during those months.

Despite this inconsistency, Webb finished 16-8 with the fourth best Earned Run Average in all of baseball, overcoming playing in a tremendous hitter's park and receiving meager run support on the road.  He was also second in the majors in innings pitched, tied for second in complete games, and third in park-adjusted ERA.  No starter in the National League allowed fewer home runs per inning pitched. 

Trevor Hoffman, Chris Carpenter, and Roy Oswalt rounded out the top four in voting.

This was the fifth season in the nine years of Diamondbacks history that an Arizona pitcher came away with the award, a phenomenal mark.  Given a 1-in-16 shot at each NL team winning the award every year, the odds of a Diamondbacks pitcher winning five out of nine years is less than one in a million.  Randy Johnson won four consecutive awards from 1999-2002.

Brandon Webb is signed through 2009 with an $8.5 million club option for 2010.  He has a $0.5 million buyout for that final year, which increases by $0.5M each time Webb finishes in the top 5 of Cy Young balloting between 2006-09.

Read more from Keith Glab at BaseballEvolution.com