NEW YORK — Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals was named the Cy Young Award winner in National League on Wednesday.

Scherzer become the sixth pitcher to win the Cy Young in both leagues, earning the NL honor by a wide margin. He led the majors with 284 strikeouts and topped the league with 20 wins, and beat out Cubs teammates Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks.

Scherzer won the AL honor in 2013 while pitching in a Detroit rotation with Porcello and Verlander, and has now joined Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Gaylord Perry and Roy Halladay as winners in both leagues.

This award, Scherzer said, meant even more than the first one.

‘‘It just verifies everything I try to achieve,’’ he said.

Scherzer posted a record-tying 20-strikeout performance for the NL East champion Nationals, a year after he threw two no-hitters in his first season with Washington.

‘‘I want to find a way to be better,’’ he said.