Even as relief pitchers shoulder a larger workload and teams start counting backwards from the ninth inning, the Cy Young Award remains the sole preserve of ace starters.
Since 1993, only one relief pitcher has won the Cy Young Award, Eric Gagne having to convert 55 of 55 save opportunities with the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the National League trophy in 2003. The last time a relief pitcher finished higher than third in the voting was in 2008, when Francisco Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Angels recorded a record 62 saves en route to finishing third in the AL voting.
There’s a good chance that at least one relief pitcher will finish in the top three this season, but once again, two strong starting pitchers — one who was just beginning to emerge as an ace and the other who has made an incredible late-career comeback that has made him a Hall of Fame candidate again — will be getting hugs and high-fives from family and friends on MLB Network in late November.
American League
Tarik Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA, 228 strikeouts) was the favorite to win the award for much of the summer, as his numbers (he’s on pace to win the AL Triple Crown) overshadowed any notion that he was a dominant second-tier team. But Skubal has played his best game over his last nine starts, going 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA in that span as the Tigers went 30-14 and are on track for their first playoff appearance since 2014.
Before Skubal’s final kick, Guardians closer Emmanuel Klass (4-2, 0.62 ERA, 46 saves) was a Cy Young Award candidate with impressive performances as the bullpen anchor of a division-winning team that won 45 games by two runs or less. According to Baseball-Reference, Klass’ 4.4 WAR ranks second among closers this century only to Jonathan Papelbon (5.0 WAR in 2006).
Despite losing seven straight games over the past four weeks, the Royals have a good shot at making the postseason for the first time since 2015 thanks to Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.03 ERA, 178 strikeouts) and Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.14 ERA, 223 strikeouts). The two rank second and third behind Skubal in WAR among AL pitchers and are in the top 10 in ERA and innings pitched.
National League
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitches during the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, September 19, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman Imagine Images Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38 ERA, 225 strikeouts) received AL Cy Young voting and was selected to the All-Star team every year from 2012 to 2018, making this both a lifetime achievement award and one of the most surprising Cy Young appearances in memory. At age 35, Sale will likely win the National League Triple Crown with the Braves for more innings than he pitched (151) while battling numerous injuries over the past four seasons. The coveted Cy Young award would be added to his trophy case when Sale surpassed the 50.0 career WAR mark, joining three Hall of Fame candidates in the twilight years of their careers: Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. Sale is Much more likely to join them in Cooperstown than the same period a year ago.
Zack Wheeler (16-7, 2.56 ERA, 213 strikeouts) could finish second in all Triple Crown categories behind Sale, which would likely be a Cy Young runner-up for Wheeler, who missed out on the Cy Young Award in 2021 because he pitched 46 1/3 more innings and had a third of a point higher ERA than Corbin Burnes.
The race for third place will be oddly intriguing. Will voters acknowledge the impressive performance of Pirates rookie Paul Skeens (11-3, 1.99 ERA, 167 strikeouts), who finished second to Sale in WAR despite pitching just 122 innings? Will they appreciate fellow rookie Shota Imanaga (15-3, 2.91 ERA, 174 strikeouts) for his smooth transition to the majors after eight years in Japan? Or will they take into account relievers Tanner Scott (9-5, 1.51 ERA, 22 saves) and Ryan Helsley (7-4, 2.09 ERA, 47 saves), who each had dominant seasons in different years?
