Paul Skenes has to be considered for the National League Cy Young

When the Pittsburgh Pirates made the decision to start Paul Skenes off in the Minor League's in 2024 it was a massive disappointment as everyone knew he was ready for the MLB. Now in the long run, it'll likely be best for his career but, it certainly dampered his chances in the MLB Awards races. Given the fact that Skenes didn't debut until May, it put him behind other candidates when it comes to the Cy Young Race.

After his start on Thursday, Skenes is 8-2 in 17 starts with a 2.16 ERA and 130 strikeouts across 104 innings pitched. His 2.16 ERA is the best in baseball since his MLB Debut showing how dominant he's been as a Rookie.

The biggest front runners in a pretty wide open National League Cy Young race are Chris Sale and Zach Wheeler. Skenes has a better ERA than both, by nearly half a run, He's only 50 strike outs behind Sale and 40 behind Wheeler in 6 and 8 less starts which isn't a ton when you consider the fact Skenes is striking out 7.5 batters per game.

There's just over a month left in the MLB Season and if Skenes wants to win the Award he'll have to be dominant and hope that the other pitchers in the race hit a bump. The biggest arguments against Skenes will be the time he missed at the start of the season and the fact that the Pirates will likely miss the playoffs. The Pirates are eight games back of Sale's Braves for the final Wild Card in the NL and if the Pirates can chase them down, Skenes very well could jump sale.

The race will be tight for National League Rookie of the Year as well

The other awards race to keep an eye on is the National League Rookie of the Year race as Jackson Merrill is seemingly neck and neck with Skenes. The Pirates' failures and the Padres' surge has given Merrill a boost especially as he continues to be a driving force in the Padres offense. Its much easier to win the Award as a pitcher but, this race could be especially tight down the stretch for Skenes.

Note: All Stats via Baseball Reference