Paul Skenes finishes 2025 with sub-2.00 ERA, NL Cy Young favorite

Paul Skenes closed his 2025 regular season on Wednesday with six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts in the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, lowering his ERA to 1.97 and cementing his status as the frontrunner for the National League Cy Young Award. The 23-year-old right-hander finished the campaign with 216 strikeouts, a 0.95 WHIP and a 1.97 ERA across 187.2 innings, milestones that have reignited conversation about his future and the Pirates' ability to build a contender around him.

Skenes scattered four hits, issued no walks and struck out Spencer Steer for his final out, then took a slow walk off the mound as fans and teammates applauded. He set the Pirates single-season strikeout record for a right-hander in the game, surpassing Mitch Keller's 210 in 2023, and ended the year tied for the National League lead in strikeouts. Per MLB.com, his sub-2.00 ERA makes him the first qualified pitcher aged 23 or younger to post an ERA below 2.00 since Dwight Gooden in 1985. Bookmakers listed him as a heavy favorite to win his first Cy Young Award as the season concluded.

Skenes, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 and...