Tarik Skubal, the Tigers' Ace, Dominates AL Cy Young Voting Again!
For the second consecutive year, left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers has claimed the prestigious American League Cy Young Award, solidifying his place among the all-time greats. This remarkable achievement places Skubal in an elite group of pitchers who have won multiple Cy Young Awards.
Skubal is now part of a legendary list that includes iconic names like Roger Clemens (a seven-time winner), Randy Johnson (five-time winner), and Steve Carlton and Greg Maddux, both four-time recipients. Other notable pitchers with multiple awards include Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, and the more recent phenoms Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer.
But here's where it gets even more impressive: Skubal is just the fifth AL pitcher to win the award in back-to-back seasons, and the second Tiger to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of Denny McLain (1968-69).
The voting process, conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), revealed a clear consensus. Skubal and Garrett Crochet were the only pitchers listed on every ballot, with Skubal receiving an overwhelming majority of first-place votes.
The voting system, which awards points for first to fifth-place votes, further highlights Skubal's dominance. He amassed 198 points, with 26 first-place votes, far surpassing his closest competitor, Crochet, who earned 132 points.
And this is the part most people miss: Skubal's achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact that the ballots were submitted before the postseason, where he continued to showcase his brilliance. This raises the question: Could Skubal have received even more votes if the ballots were submitted after the postseason?
The 2025 AL Cy Young voting results are as follows:
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Points |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Tarik Skubal | Tigers | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 198 |
| 2 | Garrett Crochet | Red Sox | 4 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 132 |
| 3 | Hunter Brown | Astros | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| 4 | Max Fried | Yankees | 6 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 61 |
| 5 | Bryan Woo | Mariners | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
| 6 | Carlos Rodón | Yankees | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 7 | Aroldis Chapman | Red Sox | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 8 | Jacob deGrom | Rangers | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Trevor Rogers | Orioles | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Drew Rasmussen | Rays | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
The breakdown of individual ballots showcases the widespread recognition of Skubal's talent across the American League. This award solidifies Skubal's status as one of the game's elite pitchers, and it will be fascinating to see if he can continue this level of dominance in the coming seasons.
What do you think about Skubal's historic achievement? Is he on track to become one of the all-time greats? Share your thoughts and let's spark a conversation!
