Case Closed: No Debating Paul Skenes’ Cy Young Chances After Final ‘25 Start
CINCINNATI – There’s only one possible argument against Paul Skenes winning the National League Cy Young, and it’s something entirely out of his control.
As he has done for much of the season – and his career, for that matter – Skenes dominated the Cincinnati Reds in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 4-3 victory at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday night. Although he left in line for the win, Skenes received a no-decision after the game went to extra innings. He finished the year with a 10-10 record.
His record shouldn’t matter. It won’t when the time comes. And Skenes will be named the NL Cy Young winner in the offseason, becoming the third Pirate to do so and the first since Doug Drabek in 1990.
Skenes entered Wednesday’s start needing to throw four-shutout innings to ensure he would finish the season with a sub-2.00 ERA. Instead, Skenes blanked the Reds across six innings, scattering four hits and striking out seven.
The staff ace knew he had a chance to finish with an ERA under 2.00, but it wasn’t his focus heading into his final start.
“You have to throw zeroes to finish with a sub-2.00. I knew it was a possibility. I didn’t do the math or anything in my head,” he explained. “Really, the biggest thing, I wanted to savor it knowing this was my last outing of the year. I won’t be doing that again for six months or so. It’s kind of a tough realization. The past few days have been pretty tough for me, knowing that. Nice to have it over with. Wish I could keep pitching, just for the joy of pitching. The sub-2.00 is a nice little by product of it, I guess.”
After ending last season with a 1.96 ERA en route to winning the National League Rookie of the Year, Skenes concluded his sophomore season with a 1.97 ERA, the lowest of any Pirates’ pitcher in the live ball era.
The last qualified starting pitcher to end a season with a sub-2.00 ERA was Justin Verlander (1.75) with the Houston Astros in 2022.
“Yeah, I got a 100th worse than last year. I’m actually worse than I was last year,” Skenes joked. “It’s cool. I don’t come into the year with any numerical goals or anything like that, any stat goals, but it’s a product of doing what you’re supposed to do.”
Skenes sat down each of the first six batters he faced, three of which came via punch outs. His strikeout of Spencer Steer to begin the second inning set the new single-season record by a Pirates’ right-handed pitcher. Skenes, who finished the season with 216 strikeouts, eclipsed Mitch Keller’s mark of 210, which was set in 2023.
“There’s gonna be a lot of records that Paul Skenes will have as he continues to go throughout his career,” said manager Don Kelly. “Just how he prepares, how he competes, how he goes out there and uses his stuff. Really cool that he got the single-season record.”
Skenes will end the season as MLB’s leader in ERA, the first Pirate to do so since John Candelaria finished the 1977 season with a 2.34 ERA.
As things currently stand, Skenes is the National League leader with a 0.96 WHIP. His 216 strikeouts put him in a three-way tie with Jesus Luzardo (Phillies) and Logan Webb (Giants) for tops in the Senior Circuit.
“He’s the best in the world, and if he keeps doing this every year, I think he could have a chance to be one of the best to ever do it,” said teammate Spencer Horwitz.
There are plenty of talented pitchers in the league this season, but none of them compare to Skenes and what he did.
“Yeah, I haven’t thought about it a ton,” Skenes said about the Cy Young. “Unfortunately, you can’t have two guys win the Cy Young. I don’t really know what my numbers versus other guys stacks up too. So we’ll see.”
While his 10-10 record isn’t what’s expected from a Cy Young winner, it’s a reflection of the Pirates’ shortcomings as a team this season, not Skenes’ individual performance.
Although Skenes opted to take the humble route when asked about the possibility of becoming the second pitcher ever to win Rookie of the Year in his first year and Cy Young in his second, there are plenty of others who will make the case for him.
“Yeah, wins are out of his control. That goes on the offense and the defense. He always does his part,” said Horwitz. “Everything else shows that. I think he deserves it.”
More about: Pirates