Paul Skenes finishes third in NL Cy Young Award voting

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting on Wednesday.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale won the award, while Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler finished second. 

The Pirates’ pitcher is the fifth rookie to finish in the top 3 in Cy Young voting, and his third-place finish is the highest by a rookie since Jose Fernandez’s third-place mark in 2013. Skenes received one second-place vote and 13 third-place votes. The award was voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.  

For Skenes, Wednesday’s Cy Young third-place finish was the cap on a phenomenal rookie season. From May 11, when he made his Major League Baseball Debut, Skenes was a sensation on the mound. He finished the season with an 11-3 record and a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings over 23 starts. He added 170 strikeouts and only walked 32 batters. 

The 22-year-old pitcher, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft out of LSU, had such a strong season that he was named the starting pitcher for the National League in the 2024 All-Star Game. 

Though Skenes came up short in the NL Cy Young voting, the pitcher was named the 2024 NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year winner on Monday.

The pitcher also was named Baseball Digest’s National League Rookie of the Year earlier this month and Baseball America’s 2024 Rookie of the Year in October.