Players tab Kershaw as NL's Outstanding Pitcher

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was named winner of the Players Choice Award for the National League's Outstanding Pitcher.

Kershaw was also a finalist for the Player of the Year Award that went to Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers.

Presented since 1992, the Players Choice Awards are voted on by the players in balloting conducted in September.

Kershaw, also favored to win the NL Cy Young Award that will be announced later this month, beat out Jose Fernandez of the Marlins and Francisco Liriano of the Pirates for the NL pitcher award.

Fernandez was named Outstanding Rookie, beating L.A. phenom Yasiel Puig.

Kershaw (16-9) became the first Los Angeles pitcher to win three consecutive ERA titles with a 1.83 mark -- the first Major Leaguer since Greg Maddux (1993-95) to accomplish the feat. Kershaw led the Major Leagues with a 0.92 WHIP and led the NL with 232 strikeouts. He also ranked among NL leaders with 236 innings pitched (second), 16 wins (tied for third), .195 opponents' batting average (second), three complete games (tied for third), two shutouts (tied for first) and seven pickoffs (second).

His 1.83 ERA was the lowest for a Major League starter since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 in 2000, and the lowest in the NL since Maddux's 1.63 in 1995. It's the lowest for a pitcher with at least 220 innings since Doc Gooden's 1.55 in 1985. The only other Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA is Sandy Koufax (three times).

Kershaw also was selected to his third NL All-Star team in 2013, and he won the Roy Campanella Award for the Dodgers player that best exemplifies Campanella's spirit and leadership.