Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes named MLB’s best pitchers, win 2025 Cy Young Awards

Detroit’s Tarik Skubal captured his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, while Paul Skenes claimed the National League honor as Major League Baseball’s top pitchers. Skubal became the first repeat AL Cy Young winner since Pedro Martínez in 2000, earning 26 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Though he didn’t replicate his 2024 pitching Triple Crown - leading the AL in wins, strikeouts, and ERA - the dominant left-hander improved his numbers, recording a 2.21 ERA (down from 2.39) and 241 strikeouts (up from 228).



Among his highlights: a complete-game two-hit shutout against the Cleveland Guardians, featuring 13 strikeouts and no walks. His final pitch that night - a 102.6 mph fastball for a strikeout - was the fastest of his career.


"It's an individual award, obviously, but I'm proud of our team," AFP quoted Skubal as saying. "I'm proud of the way we competed this year."


Skenes was a unanimous choice for the National League Cy Young Award, adding another major honor to his résumé after winning Rookie of the Year last season. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace joined elite company, becoming only the third pitcher in MLB history to capture both awards within his first two seasons - following Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Dwight Gooden (1984–85).

Skenes finished the year with a 10–10 record, a stellar 1.97 ERA, and 216 strikeouts while surrendering just 11 home runs. In voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, he finished comfortably ahead of Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sánchez, who received all 30 second-place votes.


Los Angeles Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto placed third. The Cy Young balloting considered only regular-season performance, excluding Yamamoto’s dominant postseason, which included two complete games and a clutch World Series Game 7 bullpen outing that earned him MVP honors as the Dodgers secured back-to-back championships.