Ten Major League Pitchers Who Have Established Themselves In The Cy Young Race

These ten pitchers have established themselves in their respective Cy Young Races early on this season.

We’re far enough into the Major League Baseball season to start to see awards races shape up. These ten pitchers are contenders for the CY Young Award in their respective leagues.

Houston Astros SP Hunter Brown

Hunter Brown has been phenomenal this year. His ERA sits at 1.67 and his advanced metrics back up that number. His ERA+ of 236 is off the charts, and he’s got 49 strikeouts against just 10 walks. He’s having a career, but it looks built to last.

Detroit Tigers SP Tarik Skubal

Skubal had a rough first two innings of the year coming off his Cy Young season last year. But, since,, he’s been incredible, and his stats are actually better than last year’s. Skubal’s ERA is just over 2, his K/BB is a marvelous 48/5, and he’s been absolutely dominant for a strong Tigers team.

Texas Rangers Jacob DeGrom

You’re not going to want to believe this, but, when you look at metric, Jacob DeGrom has a case to be the most dominant right-handed starting pithcer in the last 100 years per inning pitched. While he may never reach the insane heights he reached with the Mets in his shortened 2021 season, he’s back to dominating. He has a WHIP of just 1.000, and an ERA of 2.61. He’s definitely a contender, especially if he can return to striking out hitters at a league-leading clip .

Boston Red Sox SP Garrett Crochet

It’s safe to say that the trade for Garrett Crochet is working out swimmingly so far for the Red Sox. He’s got an ERA of 2.02, an ERA+ of 207, and 56 strikeouts in just 49 innings of work. He needs to cut down on the walks, but he’s a top-flight Cy Young contender.

New York Yankees SP Max Fried

If we had to give out the Cy Young today, it would go to Max Fried. While his advanced metrics aren’t quite as good as his raw stats, he’s still been fantastic. He’s got an ERA of 1.00, an ERA+ of 381, and he’s working deep into games, too. Fried has been a fantastic free agent signing.

Philadelphia Phillies SP Jesus Luzardo

A few guys from the Philadelphia rotation could be on this list, but we will go with Luzardo. His ERA and FIP are both under 2, he’s striking out hitters at a solid rate, and he’s getting relatively deep into games, too. Luzardo has been a revelation, and would contend for the award if the season ended today.

Los Angeles Dodgers SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The $325 million man had an up-and-down, albeit solid, rookie season last year after coming over from Japan. But, he looks fully settled in this year. His ERA+ is 436. That would be, by far, the best single-season mark for a starter ever if it holds (it won’t, it’s simply too high of a number). His ERA is 0.90, he’s averaging 11 k/9 and a league-low 5.4 H/9. He’s been magnificent, and would be the winner if the season ended today.

New York Mets SP Kodai Senga

Senga made just one regular season start last year after rehabbing an arm injury only to hurt his calf at the end of a dominant outing in his first start back. But, he’s been magnificent in 2025. He’s got an ERA of just 1.16, an ERA+ of 334, and is giving up just 6.5 H/9. His trademark ghost fork has been unhittable and has been one of the most valuable pitches in baseball. He’s anchoring a Mets rotation that is exceeding expectations.

Cincinnati Reds SP Hunter Greene

I’d make an argument that Hunter Greene is the most underrated player in Major League Baseball. He’s got an ERA of 2.26, an ERA+ of 187, and has 61 strikeouts against just 8 walks. His stuff is dynamic, and there’s every reason to believe those numbers are going to hold up as the season goes on.

San Francisco Giants SP Logan Webb

Webb has received Cy Young votes the last three seasons, including placing second in 2023, and he’s pitching better than he has in any of those years. He has a 2.61 ERA, and his peripherals suggest he’s actually pitching better than that. He’s striking out over 10 per 9, and he’s given up just one home run. He’s going to be in the thick of it again.