{"id":4314,"date":"2025-11-13T11:06:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T11:06:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/skenes-skubal-cy-young\/"},"modified":"2025-11-13T11:06:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T11:06:55","slug":"skenes-skubal-cy-young","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/skenes-skubal-cy-young\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Skenes wins first Cy Young; Tarik Skubal takes second straight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lead:<\/strong> Paul Skenes, 23, was named the National League Cy Young Award winner unanimously Wednesday after a dominant 2025 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal, 28, secured his second consecutive American League Cy Young. Both pitchers earned the top honor from separate Baseball Writers\u2019 Association of America panels, but each emphasized team goals over individual prizes as they head into 2026. Skenes led the majors with a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts in 187 1\/3 innings; Skubal posted a 2.21 ERA with 240 strikeouts in 195 1\/3 innings and continued strong into the postseason. Despite the accolades, both pitchers and their clubs face roster and contract questions that could shape the off-season and next season\u2019s title chances.<\/p>\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Paul Skenes (age 23) was the unanimous NL Cy Young winner in 2025, leading MLB with a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts in 187 1\/3 innings.<\/li>\n
  • Skenes finished the season 10-10 after winning three of his last four decisions; he remains under team control for the rest of the decade.<\/li>\n
  • Tarik Skubal (age 28) won the AL Cy Young for the second straight year, posting a 13-6 record, a 2.21 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 195 1\/3 innings.<\/li>\n
  • Skubal went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA in three 2025 playoff starts; the Tigers beat Cleveland in the wild-card round but were eliminated by Seattle in the Division Series.<\/li>\n
  • Skubal received 26 first-place BBWAA votes in the AL; Garrett Crochet received four first-place votes and finished second.<\/li>\n
  • Cristopher S\u00e1nchez was the runner-up in the NL ballot; Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished third in the NL voting.<\/li>\n
  • Both Skenes and Skubal were All-Star Game starters in 2025; the only other season when both All-Star starters won Cy Youngs was 2001 (Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Background<\/h2>\n

    Paul Skenes was the first overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft after standout collegiate performances at Air Force and LSU. He burst onto the major-league scene quickly, winning Rookie of the Year in his first season and following with a Cy Young in 2025\u2014making him the first pitcher since Dwight Gooden in the mid-1980s to achieve that back-to-back honor. Pittsburgh as a franchise finished last in the NL Central in 2025, and while Skenes\u2019 individual numbers were elite, the club\u2019s offense struggled to provide consistent run support. Skenes has publicly stated his desire to win in Pittsburgh, and the organization faces the challenge of building around its young ace amid roster construction limits.<\/p>\n

    Tarik Skubal\u2019s rise was less sudden but just as consequential for Detroit. The 28-year-old lefty took a major leap in 2024, earning a unanimous AL Cy Young and the pitching Triple Crown, then reinforced his status by repeating in 2025. The Tigers experienced a roller-coaster season, surrendering a 15 1\/2-game lead in the AL Central only to regroup for a wild-card victory over Cleveland. Skubal\u2019s combination of high strikeout totals and postseason poise has made him the staff\u2019s centerpiece even as the team weighs payroll and roster strategies for the near future.<\/p>\n

    Main Event<\/h2>\n

    Skenes\u2019 2025 campaign was defined by overpowering stuff and advanced control: he led the majors in ERA at 1.97 and posted 216 strikeouts across 187 1\/3 innings. Despite the dominance, Pittsburgh\u2019s offense left him with a .500 win-loss mark (10-10); Skenes won three of his final four decisions to finish the season on a positive note. The BBWAA panel awarded him every first-place ballot in the National League, with Philadelphia\u2019s Cristopher S\u00e1nchez collecting every second-place vote and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers third. After vote totals were announced, Skenes addressed a published report suggesting he had told teammates he wanted to leave Pittsburgh, calling that account inaccurate and reiterating he wants to win in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

    Skubal\u2019s award was the product of sustained excellence: he was 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA and a league-leading 240 strikeouts in 195 1\/3 innings during the regular season. In the postseason he made three starts, going 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA, and his 14-strikeout outing helped Detroit advance past Cleveland in the wild-card series. The Tigers fell to Seattle in the Division Series, ending Detroit\u2019s October run, and Skubal said the playoff loss underscored that individual awards matter less than team championships. Skubal sits in the final year of club control and acknowledged both a preference to remain a Tiger and awareness that economic realities could prompt the club to trade him before free agency.<\/p>\n

    Voting details highlighted other storylines: Garrett Crochet finished second in the AL balloting after leading the league in innings (205 1\/3) and strikeouts (255), and Hunter Brown\u2019s third-place finish earned Houston an extra draft pick via the prospect-promotion incentive. In the NL, Skenes\u2019 unanimous selection left S\u00e1nchez as the runner-up and Yamamoto third. The awards announcement arrived on back-to-back nights with both leagues\u2019 Cy Youngs decided by separate BBWAA panels; NL and AL MVP voting was scheduled to follow.<\/p>\n

    Analysis & Implications<\/h2>\n

    Individually, both pitchers have entered baseball\u2019s elite tier: Skenes\u2019 combination of youth, durability in his first full season and pristine ERA projects him as a multi-year frontline starter, while Skubal\u2019s consecutive Cy Youngs cement his status as a true staff anchor. For their teams, however, the calculus is different. Pittsburgh must decide how aggressively to invest around a young ace while remaining patient through a rebuilding arc; Skenes\u2019 team-control window gives the Pirates leverage but also a responsibility to add complementary pieces. Detroit faces a shorter timeline with Skubal entering the final year of team control\u2014management must weigh keeping its proven starter versus maximizing return if a trade becomes the prudent financial move.<\/p>\n

    On the market side, Skubal\u2019s pending free-agent status creates immediate speculation about a big contract or a pre-arbitration trade, whereas Skenes\u2019 long-term control makes him less likely to hit free agency soon. That difference shifts how front offices negotiate offers and construct rosters: teams with championship windows may prefer acquiring a controllable star like Skenes, while contenders unsure of long-term payroll flexibility might consider flipping Skubal before he reaches open market value. From a competitive-balance perspective, both outcomes\u2014retain or trade\u2014carry substantial ripple effects across division races and trade-deadline valuations in 2026.<\/p>\n

    From a historical viewpoint, Skubal joining a short list of back-to-back winners places him among Hall of Famers and underscores the rarity of repeat dominance in the modern era. Skenes\u2019 rapid ascent from Rookie of the Year to Cy Young in consecutive seasons is also historically notable and raises questions about pitcher workload management, long-term health, and how teams balance development with immediate success.<\/p>\n

    Comparison & Data<\/h2>\n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Stat (2025)<\/th>\nPaul Skenes (NL)<\/th>\nTarik Skubal (AL)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Age<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Wins-Losses<\/td>\n10-10<\/td>\n13-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    ERA<\/td>\n1.97<\/td>\n2.21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Strikeouts<\/td>\n216<\/td>\n240<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Innings<\/td>\n187 1\/3<\/td>\n195 1\/3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

    The table highlights both pitchers\u2019 strengths: Skenes led in ERA while Skubal logged a higher strikeout total and slightly more innings. Context matters\u2014Skenes achieved his marks in his first full big-league season and played for a Pirates team that finished last in the NL Central, which suppressed his win total. Skubal\u2019s workload and postseason appearances reflect Detroit\u2019s deeper October run, though the Tigers ultimately fell short in the Division Series. These comparative metrics will factor into contract valuation, trade discussions and team-building priorities heading into 2026.<\/p>\n

    Reactions & Quotes<\/h2>\n
    \n

    \u201cI don\u2019t know where that came from. The goal is to win and the goal is to win in Pittsburgh.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Paul Skenes<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Shortly after vote results, Skenes denied reports he had told teammates he wanted to leave Pittsburgh, emphasizing his desire to win with the Pirates despite outside narratives about his future.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u201cEnding the season on a loss is not a fun thing. You can be proud of what we accomplished, but you want to end the season with a win.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Tarik Skubal<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Skubal framed individual honors as secondary to team goals, repeatedly stating he would trade personal awards for a World Series and signaling his focus remains on helping Detroit win in October.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u201cI\u2019ve given everything I have to this organization. I want to be a Tiger for a very, very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Tarik Skubal<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    At the same time, Skubal acknowledged the practical economics of baseball\u2014his final year of club control could convert into a high-profile contract or prompt organizational decisions based on payroll and competitive window.<\/p>\n