To the surprise of absolutely no one, Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes has been named one of three National League Cy Young Award finalists.
Skenes, 23, put together arguably the most dominant season by a starter in Pirates history.
He led MLB in ERA (1.97) and was 24 points better than the next closest pitcher (Detroit’s Tarik Skubal – 2.21).
Skenes ranked first in the NL in WHIP (0.95), fourth in opponent average (.199), and fifth in strikeouts per nine (10.359) in 32 starts.
In his first full season, Skenes allowed 41 earned runs in 187.2 innings. He struck out 216 hitters, the most by a right-handed starter in franchise history.
Skenes has started the All-Star Game for the National League in back-to-back seasons. Despite his terrific year, Skenes closed the season 10-10 overall. He lost his last home start and earned a no-decision in his final outing to finish his terrific campaign.
After making his debut on May 11, 2024, Skenes has made 55 career starts with the Pirates. Skenes owns a 1.96 ERA over 320.2 innings. He has totaled an impressive 386 strikeouts, .95 WHIP, and has represented Pittsburgh with dignity and pride in the city and on a national stage.
Skenes closed the book on 2025 in the final two months with a cherry on top of his anticipated award-winning campaign. Skenes posted a 1.07 ERA after August 19.
The winner of the 2025 NL Cy Young Award will be unveiled on Wednesday, November 12 at 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh’s ace is the runaway favorite to win the Cy Young following a historic rookie season.
