In the world of Major League Baseball, the 2025 Cy Young Award story reached its climax this week as the 2025 Cy Young Award winners were officially announced. In the American League, Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers clinched the honour for the second consecutive year, while the National League winner remains officially unconfirmed as of this writing.
AL Winner: Tarik Skubal’s Back-to-Back Triumph
Tarik Skubal earned the 2025 Cy Young Award in the American League by dominating all major pitching categories. He posted a 13-6 record with a 2.21 ERA, whiffed 241 batters, and led the league in WHIP (0.89) and strikeout-to-walk ratio. He received 26 of the 30 first-place votes, becoming the first AL pitcher to win back-to-back Cy Youngs since Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000.
Highlights of Skubal’s year include:
- 195⅓ innings pitched, the most of his career.
- A major league best in WHIP, walks per nine innings (1.5) and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
- A dominant postseason run: in three starts covering 20.2 innings, he posted a 1.74 ERA with 36 strikeouts and set a winner-take-all game record with 13 K’s in Game 5 of the ALDS.
NL Race: Finalist Recap & Winner Pending
In the National League, the finalists for the 2025 Cy Young Award were Paul Skenes (Pirates), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) and Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies). Skenes posted a staggering 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts over 187.2 innings but finished with a 10-10 record due to minimal run support. Yamamoto and Sánchez also had notable seasons, though neither matched Skenes’ dominance in traditional metrics. At the time of writing, MLB has yet to publish the full voting results for the NL award.
Why the 2025 Cy Young Award Held Extra Weight
This year’s Cy Young voting underlines shifting expectations for starting pitchers. Skubal’s dominance in the AL reflects a return to high-impact starters, rather than bullpen reliance. Meanwhile, the NL finalists remind us that elite seasons may not always come with win-loss glory, as Skenes’ .500 record demonstrates.
Here’s a table summarizing key stats for AL finalists:
| Pitcher | Team | ERA | Strikeouts | IP | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarik Skubal | Detroit Tigers | 2.21 | 241 | 195⅓ | Led league in WHIP, K/BB, second straight win |
| Garrett Crochet | Boston Red Sox | 2.59 | 255 | 205⅓ | Led AL in innings & strikeouts, 3rd in ERA |
| Hunter Brown | Houston Astros | 2.43 | 206 | — | Ranked 2nd ERA in AL, 3rd in ballot |
What This Means for the Tigers & Beyond
The Tigers now boast back-to-back Cy Young winners, boosting their pitching profile and roster value. Skubal’s extension and future arbitration are likely to reflect his elite status.
For teams across MLB, this Cy Young cycle underscores that:
- Consistent dominance (sub-2.30 ERA, high K/BB ratio) is still the gold standard.
- Win total is less critical than underlying metrics in awards consideration.
- Young pitchers like Skenes show that age is no barrier to elite recognition—if the numbers back it up.
Looking Ahead: What to Watch
With the 2025 Cy Young Award winners announced, attention now turns to:
- How Skubal’s contract evolves and whether he remains a top-tier starter.
- Whether the NL winner announcement confirms Skenes, or if a surprise emerges from Yamamoto or Sánchez.
- Whether other pitchers will emulate the dominant formula of this year (low ERA, high strikeouts, few walks).
If you enjoy following MLB awards and pitching narratives, now is a great time to keep tabs on announcements, trades and offseason indications that swirl around Cy Young winners.
Closing Thoughts
The 2025 Cy Young Award reflects both tradition and evolution in baseball: dominant starters still earn baseball’s top pitching honor, but teams increasingly judge by analytics, not just win totals. For fans, the story is exciting, the performances historic—and the next chapter already feels like it’s underway.