Skenes wins NL Cy Young

By Hunt Palmer

Time to make more room in the trophy case at the Skenes-Dunne residence.

Paul Skenes is the 2025 National League Cy Young winner by unanimous vote.

In his second season in Major League Baseball, Skenes posted the lowest ERA in the sport, 1.97. It was the first sub-2.00 ERA in Pirates history and the first in Major League Baseball since Justin Verlander in 2022. The last pitcher to record a sub-2.00 ERA as a 23-year-old or younger was Dwight Gooden in 1985. Only Vida Blue (1971) and Dean Chance (1964) have also done it in the live ball era.

His .5 home runs allowed per nine innings also led the majors, and his .948 WHIP led the National League. He struck out 216, the most ever by a Pirates right-hander.

Despite his historic numbers, his won loss record was just 10-10. Skenes becomes the first starting pitcher ever to win the Cy Young without a winning record. Eric Gagne won it as a closer in 2003 with a 2-3 record.

The Pirates finished the year 71-91, the fourth-worst in MLB.

Skenes adds the Cy Young to his list of accomplishments which includes Dick Howser Trophy and National Pitcher of the Year in 2023 at LSU, NL Rookie of the Year in 2024, and NL All-Star starting pitcher in 2024 and 2025.

Earlier in the evening, Detroit ace Tarik Skubal won the American League award for the second consecutive season.