Pirates’ paul Skenes and Tigers’ Tarik Skubal Make History as Cy Young Award Winners
NEW YORK – In a stunning debut season,Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has been named the American league Cy young Award winner,while detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal secured his second consecutive honor. The announcement marks only the second time since 2001 that the two All-Star Game starting pitchers have both claimed the prestigious award in the same year, joining Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens.
The simultaneous recognition of Skenes and Skubal underscores a shift in MLB dominance, signaling the arrival of a new generation of pitching talent. Skenes’ victory is especially notable as he becomes one of the few rookies too ever win the award, while Skubal’s back-to-back wins cement his status as one of the league’s elite starters. The awards also carry draft implications, as a top-three finish for Houston’s Hunter Brown earned the team an extra pick after the first round of next July’s amateur draft.
Skenes, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, quickly established himself as a force on the mound, showcasing extraordinary velocity and command. Skubal, meanwhile, continued his ascent to stardom, leading the American League with a 2.21 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 195 1/3 innings during the regular season. He added a 1-0 record with a 1.74 ERA in three playoff starts, though the Tigers were ultimately eliminated by Seattle in the Division Series.
“To win this award as many times as you can in yoru career, but I’d gladly trade a Cy Young for a World Series,” Skubal said.
Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby finished third in the voting. Houston astros pitcher Hunter Brown finished in the top three,securing an extra draft pick for his team.
Elsewhere, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is favored to win his fourth MVP award, while New York Yankees slugger Aaron judge is in contention for his third AL MVP, facing a close vote with seattle catcher Cal Raleigh. MVP awards for both leagues will be handed out Thursday.
