Hold onto your hats, baseball fans, because the future of the sport has arrived! Paul Skenes, the 23-year-old phenom of the Pittsburgh Pirates, has just been crowned the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner—unanimously. But here's where it gets even more impressive: this isn't his first rodeo. Skenes followed up his 2024 Rookie of the Year campaign by dominating the league in just his second MLB season. And this is the part most people miss—he did it all while pitching for a last-place Pirates team that lost 91 games. Talk about carrying the weight!
On Wednesday night, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced Skenes as the clear winner, outshining fellow finalists Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers. His stats? Jaw-dropping. Skenes led the MLB with an ERA+ of 217, a 2.36 FIP, 216 strikeouts, and a 5.14 K/BB ratio. Oh, and did we mention he logged a quality start in 63% of his appearances? His WAR of 7.7 trailed only Sánchez's 8.0 across all of baseball. But here's the controversial part: can a pitcher truly shine when his team is struggling? Or does Skenes' performance prove that individual greatness can transcend team mediocrity?
Skenes joins an elite club as the first unanimous Cy Young winner since Sandy Alcantara in 2022 and only the fifth in the past 20 years. He’s also the third Pirates pitcher to claim the award, following in the footsteps of Doug Drabek (1990) and Vern Law (1960). With an ERA of 1.96 through his first 55 MLB starts, Skenes is on a trajectory that could see him join the ranks of multiple Cy Young winners—a guild reserved for the truly legendary.
But here's where it gets controversial: Despite being locked into his contract until 2029, Skenes has been at the center of trade rumors since his MLB debut. While Pirates owner Bob Nutting’s track record raises eyebrows, General Manager Ben Cherington has assured fans that Skenes isn’t going anywhere in 2026. Still, the question lingers: can the Pirates build a winning team around their ace, or will Skenes eventually seek greener pastures? And if he does, who could blame him?
Paired with American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Skenes isn’t just a star—he’s a symbol of baseball’s future. Together, they’re redefining what it means to dominate the mound. So, here’s the burning question for you: Do you think Skenes will stay in Pittsburgh long enough to lead the Pirates to glory, or is he destined for a bigger stage? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments!
