Surprise, surprise! Detroit Tigers left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal has earned his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award.
This makes him the first American League winner to play back-to-back since Pedro Martinez in 1999 and 2000. And the first back-to-back winner in general since Jacob deGrom in 2018-19.
At the same time, former 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes has returned to collect his second straight honor as the unanimous winner of the 2025 National League Cy Young Awards.
This makes him the eighth pitcher in MLB history to achieve both awards and the third pitcher in Pirates history to win the Cy Young.
Receiving 26 of 30 first-place votes, Skubal, with an 18–5 win-loss record, finished his season with a 2.21 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP over 195.1 innings pitched.
Boston Red Sox ace Garret Crochet came in second with the opposite of four first-place votes and 26 second-place votes, leaving Houston Astros’ Hunter Brown in a steady third with 24 third-place votes.
The winner was announced by 2007 National League Cy Young winner Jake Peavy, with the entire Skubal family supporting Skubal with ultimate support and pride as the 28-year-old surpassed his previous dominant season in 2024.
With a strong changeup he used 31.4% of the time in his six-pitch arsenal, Skubal seemed to adapt perfectly against left- and right-handed hitters under pressure and built on the dominance he continued to fuel during his performances on the mound.
Before the awards ceremony, Skubal gave some sound advice on how to properly prepare for the moment leading up to it.
“For me, mentally, it’s a matter of trusting the preparation I’ve done the last four days,” Skubal said, “and when you get the ball and it’s your time to go, just go out there and compete, and enjoy it… By the time the fifth day comes, just go out there, have fun and enjoy it and embrace everything that happens during the game.”
He also noted that playing one pitch at a time and keeping the game simple has helped him throughout his career travel and also mental space.
For Pirates’ ace Skenes, he received all 30 first-place votes, ahead of Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez and Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
If you haven’t seen Skenes on the hill yet, you are in for a real treat.
For the rest, who are no strangers to the 23-year-old phenom and have been following him since his victory in the LSU National Championship (or earlier), you are far from surprised by the outcome of this National League crowning achievement.
Finishing his season with a stellar 1.97 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP over 187.2 innings, looking at his 10-10 record you can get an overview of his lack of run production despite his impressive performances on the mound.
This left not only Pirates fans but also Paul Skene fans frustrated with the lack of support and wanting to see him shine where he can thrive.
This award is exactly what the fanbase needs to look forward to another season where the ace can build on his current seven pitches that hitters don’t seem to expect, and more that he continues to develop for a stronger resume.
When he received the award, Skenes smiled with gratitude on a couch with family and friends as he explained his journey from not being the best baseball prospect coming out of high school and playing catcher in college to how he has grown in the league thus far.
“I never thought I’d end up here,” Skenes said, “never thought I’d end up in the big leagues, let alone win a Cy Young. So it doesn’t always work out the way you think it’s going to, but if you stay the course, surround yourself with good people and work hard, that’s the minimum – you’re going to do exactly what you need to do, whatever that looks like.”
Skenes also talked about how blessed he felt to be healthy all the time season while having the support of his team and organization, putting him in a good place to succeed.
Ahead of the Cy Young Awards, the management sector of the awards competition was released last night (Nov. 11) as Stephen Vogt with the Cleveland Guardians (88-74) and Pat Murphy with the Milwaukee Brewers (92-70) each collected their second consecutive Manager of the Year awards.
Since the award’s inception in 1983, this was the first time that two managers have earned a recurring award in both competitions.
The awards aren’t over yet.
Tomorrow (November 13), the Most Valuable Player, ALL-MLB Teams, Hank Aaron Awards and more will be announced at the awards ceremony at 9:00 PM ET on MLB Network.
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