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Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal have taken commanding leads in their respective Cy Young races. The lefties were not seen as favorites coming into the season, but have been spectacular this season. If they keep it up, the Triple Crown is in reach for both. Two lefties have never done that in the same season according to OptaSTATS.
Tarik Skubal of the @tigers leads the AL in wins (16), ERA (2.51) and strikeouts (201).
Chris Sale of the @Braves leads the NL in wins (16), ERA (2.46) and strikeouts (206).
There has never been a season where a left-handed pitcher won the Triple Crown in both the AL and NL. pic.twitter.com/EghurCoOhP
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 4, 2024
With these ridiculous numbers, it's no surprise that they are both Cy Young favorites. Sale is at -900 in the National League and Skubal is at -5000 in the American League on DraftKings as of Tuesday. Even with great seasons from Emmanuel Clase, Zach Wheeler, Corbin Burnes, Paul Skenes, and plenty more, these two are prohibitive favorites.
Chris Sale has led the Braves' rotation through a season of debilitating injuries. Ace Spencer Strider had Tommy John surgery just before the season began, knocking him out for the season. Max Fried has missed games as well, leaving Sale, 35, and Charlie Morton, 40, as the top pitchers in the rotation.
Skubal has been one of the few bright spots in another lost season for the Tigers. He combined for one of the best one-two punches in the first half with Jack Flaherty. When he was traded to the Dodgers, Skubal took off even more. He is 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA in the six starts since the deadline.
Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal cap bizarre pitching season
While these two lefty aces are set to make history, the baseball world is questioning the future of the pitching position. Strider is not the only player who had Tommy John in the leadup to this season. Cleveland's Shane Bieber, Boston's Lucas Giolito, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, and Baltimore's Felix Bautista all missed time this year with Ulnar Collateral Ligament injuries, if not full Tommy John.
While they have both had Tommy John in the past, Skubal and Sale skirted the injury-plagued spring and started the year healthy. Thankfully for their teams, they have remained so and put together great seasons. For the Braves, it has been one of the few things keeping them on the tracks this year. With Ronald Acuña Jr out for the year and Ozzie Albies out for extended time, the Braves have struggled this year.
Skubal was the subject of many trade rumors ahead of the trade deadline. While Flaherty was shipped out, Skubal stayed. He has paid it back to the Tigers. He is putting the finishing touches on the franchise's first Cy Young since Max Scherzer in 2013. The future of the team relies on Skubal, as proven by their recent hot stretch. A 7-3 stretch has brought them to 4.5 games out of the Wild Card.
Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal will win their respective Cy Young Awards unless something unforeseen happens. The better race will be for the Triple Crowns. Dylan Cease is just a few strikeouts behind Sale in the NL. There are three pitchers with 14 wins, each two behind the leaders. The race will likely come down to the final games as the Braves fight for the final Wild Card spot and the Tigers play out the string.
