The 2024 Cy Young Award Winners were announced on Wednesday night. The award went to two lefties: Atlanta Braves pitcher, Chris Sale in the National League and Detroit Tigers pitcher, Tarik Skubal in the American League.
Sep 14, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitches the ball against Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Chris Sale (NL)
Sale’s Wednesday night Cy Young win caps off an incredible comeback year for the 35-year-old from Lakeland, Florida. This is his first Cy Young Award win, earning 26 first-place votes and four second-place votes, totaling 198 points in total. Along with winning the Cy Young, Sale also took home the Triple Crown award in the NL with his league-leading wins (18), ERA (2.38 ERA), and strikeouts (225).
Sale instantly became a great comeback story in the 2024 major league season. After spending the majority of the last four years on the injured list, many assumed a full season from Sale would be farfetched. But then 2024 happened and Sale unprecedently put up a phenomenal, classic, Sale-like season that resembled his days as a starter with the White Sox.
The numbers he put up in Atlanta were outstanding. In 29 games, Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA, 225 punchouts, and a WHIP of 1.01 in 177 2/3 innings.
Over the course of his illustrious career, Sale is now 138-83 with a 3.04 ERA. He has struck out 2,414 in 1,958 1/3 innings and has a career 1.04 WHIP.
Sale was drafted in 2010 in the first round to the Chicago White Sox out of Florida Gulf Coast University. He spent his first seven seasons with Chicago before switching his white socks for red socks when he was traded from Chicago to the Boston Red Sox in the 2016 trade that sent him east. He spent the next seven seasons with the Red Sox before he was traded again, back to the National League and the Atlanta Braves, where he spent 2024.
Sale is no stranger to being a Cy Young award finalist. From 2012-2018, he was a finalist for the award, placing between second to eighth in the voting. 2024, as mentioned above is his first award win.
Sale beats out Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom, Paul Skenes, and Phillies’ right-handed pitcher, Zack Wheeler
“I’m glad it worked out this way because I feel like I’m able to appreciate this moment right now,” Sale said. “I can’t stress enough about everybody who helped me get here.”
Mets’ left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea placed eleventh, earning one fifth-place vote in the 2024 NL Cy Young Award voting.
Tarik Skubal (American League)
Skubal’s 28th birthday became even more special as he was named the 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner, winning the award unanimously.
In a 2024 breakout season, Skubal was 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA. In 31 games started and 192 innings, he struck out 228 and had a WHIP of 0.92. He led the Tigers to an appearance in the playoffs with the season that he had.
Over the course of his career, all with the Detroit Tigers, Skubal is 41-31 with a 3.37 ERA, 648 strikeouts, and a 1.07 WHIP.
Skubal beats out former Met, and now Kansas City Royals right-handed pitcher, Seth Lugo and Cleveland Guardians elite closer, Emmanuel Clase, who many thought also had a good chance to walk away with this year’s award.
With winning the 2024 Cy Young award, the 28-year-old birthday boy became the third unanimous winner in a row.
This was just the third time in the history of the Cy Young award that a pair of left-handed pitchers have taken home the honors.
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