In a historic moment for baseball, Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers have emerged as the 2024 Cy Young Award winners, marking only the third time in MLB history that left-handed pitchers have simultaneously claimed both league honors.
The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the results Wednesday, coinciding with Skubal’s 28th birthday. The Tigers’ ace made it a memorable celebration by securing a unanimous victory in the American League, receiving all 30 first-place votes. Meanwhile, Sale dominated the National League voting with 26 of 30 first-place votes.
Both southpaws achieved the rare pitching Triple Crown in their respective leagues. Sale posted an impressive 18-3 record with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts, while Skubal recorded an 18-4 record, maintaining a 2.39 ERA with 228 strikeouts.
The 35-year-old Sale’s journey to this achievement is particularly noteworthy. After battling injuries since 2019, including Tommy John surgery, he made a remarkable comeback with the Braves. “The biggest thing is health,” Sale reflected. “I was healthy earlier in my career and able to sustain success. Ran into a buzz saw over the past handful of years.”
Skubal’s rise has been equally impressive. The young lefty, selected in the ninth round of the 2018 draft, led Detroit to their first playoff appearance since 2014. “It was a ton of fun to be part of,” Skubal said. “The last two months of our season and even the postseason was very special.”
In the American League, Kansas City’s Seth Lugo claimed second place with a solid 16-9 record and a 3.00 ERA. Cleveland’s closer Emmanuel Clase finished third after an extraordinary season with 47 saves and a microscopic 0.61 ERA across 74⅓ innings.
The National League saw Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler as runner-up, receiving four first-place votes. Pittsburgh’s rookie sensation Paul Skenes took third place, becoming just the fifth rookie to finish in the top three of Cy Young voting.
Sale’s victory marks the Braves’ eighth Cy Young Award and first since Tom Glavine’s win in 1998. For Detroit, Skubal joins an elite group of Tigers’ Cy Young winners following Max Scherzer’s 2013 triumph.
This dual lefty triumph echoes the achievements of Steve Carlton and Sparky Lyle in 1977 and Randy Johnson and Barry Zito in 2002 – the only other occasions when Southpaws swept both leagues’ top pitching honors.
The 2024 season will be remembered for these remarkable achievements, as both pitchers dominated their leagues with consistency and excellence. Their success stories – Sale’s comeback and Skubal’s breakthrough – exemplify perseverance and skill at the highest level of baseball.