Transformation complete: Cubs' Jake Arrieta takes home NL Cy Young

The transformation is complete. In just a few years Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta has gone from bust to ace to among the best pitchers in the game.  Now, he can add a Cy Young Award to his list of accomplishments.

Arrieta narrowly edged Zack Greinke in a close vote for the award. He placed first on 17 of the 30 BBWAA ballots. Greinke barely missed out on winning his second Cy Young Award, picking up 10 first place votes.

[Elsewhere: Houston ace Dallas Keuchel is your AL Cy Young Award winner]

Given their performances, it was no surprise the vote was close. While both pitchers were exceptional, the voters opted to go with Arrieta.

His numbers were staggering. Arrieta posted a 1.77 ERA, with 22 wins, over 229 innings. He notched 238 strikeouts, threw four complete games and finished with a 7.3 fWAR. On top of that, Arrieta tossed a no-hitter during an August start against Greinke’s Los Angeles Dodgers.

When the Cubs needed him the most, Arrieta rose to the occasional. Over his final 12 starts, the 29-year-old went 11-0, with a 0.41 ERA over 88 1/3 innings. His performance was historically great.

In that sense, it’s fitting that Arrieta’s 2015 will now live on for all eternity.  Historically great performances should be rewarded, and Arrieta’s second half will always be a part of our memory when discussing his Cy Young win.

[Related: What's next? This is likely just the start for Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa]

Just a few seasons ago, Arrieta had nowhere to go but up. Now, he’s the best pitcher in the game. It’s safe to say that, even though he always had potential, no one saw this coming.

Given Arrieta’s improvements over the past few seasons, we can’t wait to see what he does for an encore in 2016.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik