We're approaching the midway point of the 2025 MLB season, and this year's Cy Young races have begun to take shape with less than a month to go until the All-Star break. Some of the league's top starters have already taken the mound as many as 15 times, and plenty of contenders for the award honoring the league's most outstanding pitcher have emerged.
Tarik Skubal claimed the American League Cy Young for the first time in 2024, and he’s on track to repeat the feat after a magnificent start to his '25 campaign. Chris Sale won the award for the National League last year, and despite having a strong follow-up season so far with a 2.79 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings, he's not currently among the top contenders to repeat. That speaks to how stacked the competition is.
Let’s take a look at the top three candidates in both leagues, as well as some honorable mentions. All stats are updated entering Tuesday.
American League Cy Young Candidates
3. Max Fried, New York Yankees
The Yankees backed up the Brinks truck to land Max Fried this offseason, and so far it's paid dividends. Through his first 15 starts, Fried has recorded nine wins and boasts a 1.89 ERA. He's recorded 90 strikeouts in 95 innings while walking just 20 batters.
With Gerrit Cole out for the season, the Yankees have needed Fried to step up as the team's ace, and he's done precisely that in his first season in the Bronx. Fried's 11 quality starts are tied for the league lead, and he's second in MLB with five successful pickoffs, making him a nightmare for base runners to steal against.
2. Hunter Brown, Houston Astros
Hunter Brown has been one of baseball's biggest breakout stars of 2025. He impressed last year, logging a 3.49 ERA, but the 26-year-old has reached a different level. Houston’s best starter has an AL-best 1.88 ERA through 14 starts with 105 strikeouts and 26 walks in 86 innings.
Brown has seven games with nine or more strikeouts, the most in MLB, and he ranks third in the American League in strikeouts. The .182 batting average he limits opposing hitters to also ranks third in MLB. After losing his first two starts, Brown has been a man on fire for an Astros squad that once again finds itself at the top of the AL West.
1. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
Tarik Skubal is the clear-cut favorite to win the Cy Young for the second consecutive season. The Tigers ace has been nothing short of dominant through his first 14 starts. The lefty’s 3.6 bWAR is best among AL pitchers and fifth-best among all players.
Skubal boasts a 1.99 ERA with 111 strikeouts and just nine walks in 90 1/3 innings. He’s surrendered one or zero runs in nine of his 14 starts. No qualified starter has fewer walks this season than Skubal, who also ranks first in MLB with a 0.81 WHIP, third in strikeouts and fifth in K/9 at 11.06. After running away with the award last season, the 28-year-old has somehow managed to improve upon his 2024 campaign with an even stronger showing.
MORE: Inside the Numbers: Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal’s Battle for Pitching Supremacy
Honorable Mentions
Boston Red Sox LHP Garrett Crochet, Texas Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom, Kansas City Royals LHP Kris Bubic
National League Cy Young Candidates
3. MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals
MacKenzie Gore may have a 3–6 record through his first 15 starts, but that's more of a reflection of his Nationals teammates giving him poor run support. He's had some of MLB's nastiest stuff. Across 87 1/3 innings, Gore boasts an MLB-high 119 strikeouts and 12.26 K/9. He has a 2.89 ERA and has racked up 10 quality starts.
Occasionally prone to surrendering the long ball, Gore has allowed 10 home runs, but he more than makes up for it with his ability to work strikeouts. The 26-year-old hasn’t had a single outing with fewer than five strikeouts and has tallied 13 strikeouts in two separate games.
2. Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
Zack Wheeler is enjoying another sensational season for the Phillies, and he'll be in consideration for his overdue first Cy Young award if he keeps it up. He boasts a 2.76 ERA in 14 starts and has 110 strikeouts, which ranks second in the National League. Wheeler has only issued 19 walks and boasts a 0.89 WHIP, which is also the second best mark in the NL.
Wheeler remains as reliable as they come on the bump, having finished as Cy Young runner-up twice in the last four seasons, and hitters have still not figured him out. Opposing batters are hitting just .187 against Wheeler, and the 35-year-old is tied for the NL league lead with 11 quality starts.
1. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Paul Skenes had some lofty expectations following his prolific rookie season, and he's lived up to them. The 23-year-old has a 1.78 ERA, which ranks second in the NL, and leads the league with a 0.85 WHIP. The Pittsburgh Pirates star has quickly turned into a workhorse, leading the NL with 96 innings while ranking fifth with 97 strikeouts. Despite striking out batters at a smaller rate this year, he’s also giving up fewer walks, hits and runs.
Skenes has been terrific, and his 4–6 record is, like Gore with the Nationals, more a testament to the lack of run support he receives as opposed to his inability to put his team into winning positions. After placing third in the NL Cy Young race as a rookie, Skenes looks destined to win it in year two.
Honorable Mentions
New York Mets RHP Kodai Senga, Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez, Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cy Young Award Race Breakdown: Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes Lead the Packs.
