Detroit ― As we await confirmation of what seems a foregone conclusion, that Tarik Skubal will win a second straight American League Cy Young Award ― the award was to be presented on MLB Network at 7 p.m. Wednesday ― let’s try to put these two seasons into some historical perspective.
Skubal would be the first American League pitcher to win the award in back-to-back years since Red Sox Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez won it in 1999 and 2000. Five National League pitchers have won in consecutive years since the turn of the century.
Going back to another Hall of Famer, the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax, who was the first pitcher to win the award in back-to-back seasons (1965, 1966), Skubal would be the 12th pitcher to win the award in consecutive seasons. Some, like Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson, won the award in consecutive years more than once.
What follows is a tiered ranking of the best two-year performances by pitchers in their back-to-back Cy Young seasons.
Tier 1
PLAYER YEARS WINS ERA SO ERA+ WAR
Randy Johnson 2001-2002 43 2.40 706 171 20.8
Pedro Martinez 1999-2000 41 1.90 597 259 20.5
Sandy Koufax 1965-1966 54 1.88 699 172 18.4\
Greg Maddux 1994-1995 35 1.60 337 192 18.2
Denny McLain 1968-1969 55 2.37 461 142 15.5
Tier 2
PLAYER YEARS WINS ERA SO ERA+ WAR
Clayton Kershaw 2013-2014 37 1.80 471 196 15.8
Tim Lincecum 2008-2009 33 2.55 526 170 15.2
Roger Clemens 1986-1987 44 2.74 494 160 18.2
Jacob deGrom 2018-2019 21 2.05 524 190 16.6
Max Scherzer 2016-2017 36 2.75 552 159 13.5
Tarik Skubal 2024-2025 31 2.37 469 180 12.9
Jim Palmer 1975-1976 45 2.30 352 148 15.0
Skubal was a unanimous selection by the Baseball Writers Association of America last year, and posted an even better season in 2025. His 6.5 WAR and 2.21 ERA led the American League. In fact, per Baseball Reference, Skubal led in 12 different statistical categories, including an MLB-low 0.891 WHIP. His 195.1 innings and 241 strikeouts were career-highs.
The Tigers were 21-10 in Skubal’s 31 regular-season starts in 2025.
Skubal is one of three finalists for the AL award, joining Wayne State product Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros and Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
