With Memorial Day now behind us, baseball season is now officially in full swing. We’re starting to see separation on which teams, and players, are contenders and pretenders. It’s still early in the season, but this is the time the word “playoffs” begins to enter the zeitgeist.
It’s also time to discuss on who the strongest players are in the league as the betting markets open up. For pitchers, the Cy Young race this year is gearing up to be one of the closest in recent memory. These are three names from each league that are making a strong early case for the end-of-season honors.
Simply put, Skubal is the most electric and dangerous pitcher in the game. The clear ace of the Detroit Tigers, he headlines a strong and surprising young rotation that has complimented their upstart offense. With the team sporting a 35-20 record, there’s a good chance we see Skubal and company back in the playoffs.
The Cy Young winner last year, the left-handed pitcher went 18-4 with an AL-leading 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts over 192 innings pitched. He also walked only 35 batters, well under two per nine innings. When you look at his splits for 2024, Skubal was even better in September, throwing a 1.52 ERA and .845 WHIP in four starts. He throws his best when it matters the most.
Skubal has continued his excellent 2024 campaign, tossing a 2.49 ERA with an even better .845 WHIP, surrendering only seven walks, the lowest in the league. He also leads the league in Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) and strikeout to walk ratio. This isn’t even mentioning his 13-strikeout complete game on Sunday.
Per his Baseball Savant page, he’s seen an uptick in velocity across the board. In addition, his five-pitch mix continues to have decent break and a higher spin rate.
He might be the first consecutive Cy Young winner since Jacob deGrom did it for the Mets in 2018 and 2019. However, it’s a stretch to say he’s the clear frontrunner.
While Skubal’s campaign has been excellent, one can argue fellow left-hander Fried’s campaign has been even better. The 31-year-old stepped up for the New York Yankees rotation following the loss of Gerrit Cole to injury early this year. After signing Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract, he’s been outright dominant.
Fried currently boasts a 7-0 record with a league-leading 1.29 ERA and a .929 WHIP, higher than Skubal’s. It’s a welcome stat line for a player that had a mediocre 2024 campaign, finishing 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA. After finishing as the runner-up in the Cy Young race in 2022, he might get his revenge this year.
The only downside is that Fried doesn’t strike out batters at the high rate Skubal has, and gives up slightly more walks. He’s also not surrendering too many home runs, three in 70 innings, and strands baserunners.
Per Baseball Savant, unlike Skubal, Fried’s spin rate and velocity have been relatively consistent. However, he’s used his fastball far more frequently than any of his six other pitched.
There are a number of pitchers who can slide into the third and final spot on the Cy Young list, but Woo has a growing record of consistency to stand on. This is an extremely hard call between Woo and Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros, but Woo just seems to be the better long-term pitcher.
Woo had an underrated 2024 season, sporting a 9-3 record with a 2.89 ERA and .898 WHIP. His walk rate over nine innings was one, while his home run rate was the same. His numbers, however, were impacted by injury and affected his status for Cy Young voting in 2024.
This year, the right-hander has avoided injury so far and has a 5-2 record over 10 starts with a 2.40 ERA. While his walk rate has slightly moved higher, his home run rate has fallen below one over nine innings and his strikeout rate has increased to 8.5 over nine. The only issue, per Baseball Savant, is his hard contact rate being elevated.
If he stays healthy, Woo could be a contender for the Cy Young this year. If not, Brown takes his place.
The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in a familiar place: A number of starting pitchers, including Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow, on the injured reserve. As consequence, the team’s starting pitching has been spotty while the team’s hitting continues to chug along. Yamamoto is undoubtedly their most dependable and durable starter in their rotation.
In his sophomore season, Yamamoto has improved all aspects of his game aside from a few small regressions. In 11 starts, the right-hander holds a 6-3 record with a 1.97 ERA and .906 WHIP. His walk rate has increased to 2.8 per nine innings, but his hits per nine innings had dropped to 5.3, a National League low.
The Japanese pitcher has already exceeded his 2024 WAR total in almost half the games. Yamamoto’s seven-pitch arsenal have all seen slight increases in spin rates, but much more drop and break than in 2024. His arm angle has also dropped two degrees to 44, possibly contributing to his successes.
On a team that has struggled to lock in stable pitching, Yamamoto has emerged as a clear ace on the team and one of the best pitchers in the National League.
Luzardo’s success in 2025 is the result of a pitcher that is finally being able to develop and get comfortable on the mound. After two modest seasons in Oakland, where he won Rookie of The Year votes in 2020, he was shipped to Miami. During that time, he sported a 4.15 ERA over the last four years, with his 2024 season cut down due to injury.
Now with a team with actual World Series ambitions, The Philadelphia Phillies, he’s performed exceptional. Luzardo sports a 5-0 record with a 2.15 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 11 starts. His WHIP might be the lowest out of the entire field, but his increased strikeout rate and lowered home run rate gives him a chance to be considered.
With Philadelphia, the 27-year-old dropped his slider usage and implemented a sweeper pitch. That pitch alone has a run value of seven, with his whiff rate over 50 percent and a batting average under .180.
This last pitcher really needs no introduction. Skenes has been a superstar since entering the majors last year, walking out with Rookie of the Year honors and placing third in Cy Young voting. He’s continued his torrid streak this year.
Skenes does have a 3-5 record over 11 games, but does have one complete game under his belt. He also sports a 2.36 ERA and a .947 WHIP over 68.2 innings. You can blame the lack of run support for his poor record.
The 22-year-old’s velocity has ticked down slightly, but he is still finding major success with his arsenal. If his pitches become more effective as the season goes on, he could jump in the rankings.
There is a good chance neither the American League or National League Cy Young races are unanimous this year. Again, it is still early in the season and there are factors that can not yet be accounted for, plus the unexpected. One thing is for sure, this is turning into a good season for pitchers and it’s going to be a fun summer for fans.
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