Two of baseball’s brightest arms have added historic hardware to their resumes. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes were named the 2025 Cy Young Award winners, cementing their places among the sport’s elite after dominant seasons on the mound.
Skubal, a 28-year-old left-hander, claimed the American League’s top pitching honor for the second consecutive year. His encore performance in 2025 arguably topped his 2024 campaign, leading the AL with a 2.21 ERA, 241 strikeouts, and a league-best 0.89 WHIP. With his repeat win, Skubal joins an exclusive group of just 12 pitchers in MLB history to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards.
The Detroit ace credited his success to consistency and focus, refusing to let outside pressures derail his approach. His devastating changeup, rated MLB’s most effective by run value, helped him hold opposing hitters to a .200 average and a .559 OPS. Even beyond the regular season, Skubal delivered under pressure in the playoffs, posting a 1.74 ERA with 36 strikeouts across 20 2/3 innings.
Off the field, Skubal and his wife, Jessica, have made a significant impact through their work with Alternatives for Girls, a Detroit-based nonprofit aiding homeless and at-risk women.
On the National League side, Paul Skenes’ rise has been nothing short of meteoric. The 23-year-old righty, drafted first overall in 2023, became a unanimous Cy Young winner just one year after being named Rookie of the Year. His 1.97 ERA was the best in the majors, paired with a 217 ERA+ and a dominant 0.95 WHIP. His 216 strikeouts set a Pirates record for a right-hander.
Despite a pedestrian 10-10 record due to poor run support, Skenes’ underlying metrics left no doubt about his dominance. He’s the first pitcher in MLB to post a sub-2.00 ERA with over 185 innings since Jacob deGrom in 2018.
Skenes also continued to serve off the field, donating $100 per strikeout to the Gary Sinise Foundation. His dedication and maturity have made him the third Pirates pitcher to ever win a Cy Young and just the third player in history to win BBWAA awards in each of his first two MLB seasons.
Together, Skubal and Skenes are the first pair of All-Star Game starters to both win the Cy Young in the same year since Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson in 2001. Their performance and poise in 2025 have etched their names into the record books—and likely, into the game’s future for years to come.