Tarik Skubal Wins the 2025 American League Cy Young Award

The Cy Young Award was introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford C. Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955. From 1956 to 1966, there was only one winner for the entire league, but starting in 1967, two separate awards have been given out each year, one for each league. Since this time period the league has continued this tradition. Recognizing and awarding the top pitcher in Major League Baseball. What about this year? Well, Tarik Skubal has won the 2025 American League Cy Young Award, after posting an impressive 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts for the Detroit Tigers. 

As you can imagine, Skubal made plenty of history picking up another Cy Young Award. For one thing, this isn’t the man’s first rodeo. Skubal took home a Cy Young just last season. Therefore, this makes him the first AL pitcher to win back-to-back awards since Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000.

Additionally, Tarik joins an exclusive group and list of pitching excellence. If you crack open the history books, you will find that there have been 12 pitchers to win back to back Cy Young Awards. An incredible achievement since winning a Cy Young is still considered a rare feat.

Nevertheless, do you know the 12 pitchers that have achieved this accomplishment? Names like Roger Clemons, Greg Maddux, Clayton Kershaw, Randy Johnson and Sandy Koufax may come to mind. And you would not be wrong. So then, without further suspense, here are the historic 12:

TARIK SKUBAL (2024-25)

JACOB DEGROM (2018-19)

MAX SCHERZER (2016-17)

CLAYTON KERSHAW (2013-14)

TIM LINCECUM (2008-09)

RANDY JOHNSON (1999-2002)

PEDRO MARTÍNEZ (1999-2000)

ROGER CLEMENS (1986-87, 1997-98)

GREG MADDUX (1992-95)

JIM PALMER (1975-76)

DENNY McLAIN (1968-69)

SANDY KOUFAX (1965-66)

Tarik Skubal Wins the 2025 American League Cy Young Award

Another cool piece of history concerns both of this year’s winners. This marks the second time in MLB history that both starting pitchers from the All-Star Game went on to win the Cy Young in the same year (Skubal and Paul Skenes). Regarding winning and his success on the mound this season, Skubal says,

“It means a lot,’ Skubal said on a conference call with reporters after the announcement. ‘Anytime you accomplish an award of this presence, honor, it’s really cool. And to be the first one in the American League since Pedro [to win back-to-back] is even more special, obviously.

I think a lot of it is not being complacent with who I am today,’ Skubal said about his pitching. “I still think there’s more to tap into. I still think that I’m not the finished version of myself. When I retire, that’ll be the finished version of myself. I’m still looking to get better each and every single day. That’s what my teammates bring out of me, that’s what our coaching staff brings out of me, and just the relationships that I have with those people I think bring out the best in everybody. That’s just who we are as a team.”

And Tarik definitely brought his best to every game. Skubal was one of five AL pitchers to toss a shutout this season. Although, Skubal wasn’t a unanimous winner this year. He did receive 26 of 30 first-place votes (198 points), with the other four going to Crochet (132 points).

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