In a remarkable rise to stardom, 23-year-old right-hander Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates has captured the 2025 National League Cy Young Award.
Skenes earned all 30 first-place votes, becoming the first NL pitcher to win the award unanimously since Sandy Alcántara of the Miami Marlins in 2022.
Close contenders included Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies, who finished second, and Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who placed third. The recognition solidifies Skenes’ position among baseball’s elite and highlights a meteoric rise for one of the game’s youngest stars.
Skenes’ journey has been historic on multiple fronts. After earning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2024, he became the first player in nearly four decades to follow that achievement with a Cy Young Award in consecutive seasons.
Beyond that, he is the first pitcher in major-league history to win the Cy Young with a win-loss record at or below .500, a testament to his dominance despite sometimes limited run support. His rapid ascent reflects both exceptional talent and consistency at an age when many pitchers are still finding their footing in the majors.
Stellar numbers and franchise milestones
The 2025 season saw Skenes deliver eye-popping numbers. He finished with a 10-10 record, a 1.97 ERA, and 216 strikeouts against just 42 walks over 187 innings in 32 starts. His performance earned him the honor of starting his second consecutive All-Star Game for the NL and the Baseball Digest Pitcher of the Year award.
Skenes’ ERA was particularly historic; he became the first Pirates pitcher in the live-ball era to conclude a season with a mark under 2.00. He also ranked among league leaders in WHIP (0.95) and posted a .199 batting average against, making him a nightmare for opposing hitters.
Skenes’ achievements have broader implications for the Pirates franchise as well. He is only the third pitcher in team history to win the Cy Young Award, joining Vern Law (1960) and Doug Drabek (1990). For a team that has often struggled to compete at the highest level, his success offers hope that a new era of competitiveness may be emerging.
His dominance on the mound, even in games where run support was minimal, underscored why he was the unanimous choice for the prestigious award.
Voting for the Cy Young is conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, and Skenes’ sweep of first-place votes underscores both his exceptional performance and widespread recognition. In a season filled with outstanding pitchers, Skenes not only stood out statistically but also captured the imagination of fans and analysts alike.
At just 23 years old, he is not only rewriting the record books but also setting the stage for what could be a historic career in Major League Baseball.
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