Overview
- Skenes received all 30 first-place votes after a season with a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts over 32 starts.
- The 23-year-old said his goal is to win in Pittsburgh, rejecting an NJ.com report that cited an anonymous teammate about a Yankees preference.
- Pirates GM Ben Cherington said Skenes will be a Pirate in 2026, and the ace remains under club control through 2029.
- He is the first pitcher since Dwight Gooden to follow a Rookie of the Year season with a Cy Young the next year and joins Vernon Law and Doug Drabek as Pirates Cy Young winners.
- Pittsburgh finished last in the NL Central in 2025, sharpening focus on whether the franchise will build a contender around its ace.