Tigers' Skubal wins 2nd straight AL Cy Young

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal defended his title as the American League's best pitcher.

Skubal won his second consecutive AL Cy Young Award on Wednesday, receiving 26 of 30 first-place votes to easily defeat Hunter Brown and Garrett Crochet for this year's honor.

Skubal is the first repeat winner in the AL since Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez in 1999 and 2000. The left-hander also joins Sandy Koufax (1965-66), Randy Johnson (four straight from 1999-2002), and Clayton Kershaw (2013-14) as one of only four southpaws to earn the award in consecutive years.

The 28-year-old was dominant in 2025, going 13-6 with 241 strikeouts, one shutout, and an AL-best 2.21 ERA and 2.45 FIP. He also led the majors in WHIP (0.89), BB/9 (1.5), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.30), while holding hitters to a meager .200 average over 195 1/3 innings.

This is the seventh time a Tigers pitcher has won the Cy Young, moving the franchise into a tie for the third-most winners since the award's inception in 1956. Skubal is the second Tigers hurler to claim the honor in back-to-back seasons, joining Denny McLain in 1968 and '69.

Skubal's latest win comes amid questions about his future in Detroit. He's one year away from free agency, and the Tigers are reportedly willing to at least listen to trade offers.

"Contract extension stuff is a little bit different, but trade stuff is out of my control," Skubal told reporters Wednesday, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "I've given everything I have to this organization. I want to be a Tiger for a very long time. ... I love Detroit. Hopefully, I'm here. That's where I'm at with all of that."

Skubal and Crochet, who finished second, were the only pitchers named on all 30 ballots. New York Yankees left-hander Max Fried and Seattle Mariners righty Bryan Woo rounded out the top five.

Carlos Rodón, Aroldis Chapman, Jacob deGrom, Trevor Rogers, and Drew Rasmussen all received some down-ballot votes.