The 2025 Cy Young Award honours two pitchers whose dominance carried through the season, with Tarik Skubal repeating in the American League and Paul Skenes emerging as the National League standout.
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The 2025 Cy Young Award has been awarded, led by Tarik Skubal’s repeat performance in the American League and a standout campaign by Paul Skenes in the National League. Skubal clinched his second consecutive award after posting a 13-6 record, a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Skenes posted a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts and led NL qualifiers in several key categories.
American League: Tarik Skubal’s Repeat Performance
Skubal became the first AL pitcher since Pedro Martínez (1999-2000) to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards. His stat line in 2025:
- Wins: 13
- Losses: 6
- ERA: 2.21
- Strikeouts: 241
- WHIP: 0.89
He led qualified AL starters in WAR (6.5 per Baseball-Reference) and FanGraphs WAR (6.6) while dominating rate categories: strikeout rate (32.2%), walk rate (4.4%), opponent OBP (.240) and OPS (.559). In the BBWAA voting, he received 26 of 30 first-place votes.
Skubal’s repeat win solidifies his place among elite AL arms, and highlights the Tigers’ rotation strength moving forward.
National League: Finalist Spotlight and Context
While the NL winner has not yet been officially confirmed in some outlets, the frontrunner is Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He posted a sparkling 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts over 187.2 innings, leading among NL qualifiers and cementing his case. Other NL finalists included Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers). Skenes’ performance this season—despite a modest 10-10 win-loss record due to limited run support—showed dominance in ERA, WHIP (~0.95), opponent batting average (.199) and strikeouts.
While the NL official recipient may still be awaiting certain formal confirmations, his candidacy stands as one of the strongest seasons by a starter in recent memory.
Voting, Historical Context & Significance
- The winners were announced on November 12, 2025, as part of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) awards week.
- Skubal’s consecutive AL win marks a milestone: he is the first AL pitcher to win back-to-back since Pedro Martínez and the first overall since Jacob deGrom did so in 2018-19.
- The Cy Young Award, given annually to the best pitcher in each league, has been awarded since 1956 and separately to each league since 1967.
Key Stats — Comparison Table
| Pitcher | League | Wins | ERA | Strikeouts | IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarik Skubal | AL | 13 | 2.21 | 241 | 195.1 |
| Paul Skenes* | NL | ~10 | 1.97 | 216 | 187.2 |
*Skenes figures approximate based on available reporting.
Implications for MLB & Team Outlook
Skubal’s dominance gives the Tigers a bona fide ace headlining their rotation. For the broader MLB landscape, his back-to-back win reinforces that sustained elite performance is rare and highly valued. On the NL side, Skenes’ statistical mastery—especially given his youth—signals a potential long-term frontrunner for the award and elevates expectations for the Pirates’ pitching future.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the 2025 Cy Young Award — comment below and stay tuned for full NL winner confirmation.