Cristopher Sánchez has emerged as an ace for the Philadelphia Phillies and one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. In 2024, the 28-year-old left-hander burst onto the scene with a breakout campaign that earned him his first career All-Star selection and a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension.
Sánchez backed that up with an even better 2025, emerging as the team's clear No. 1 starter for the postseason after Zack Wheeler's season-ending injury. He's a legitimate NL Cy Young contender, and although he's not considered the favorite to win the award, there's no pitcher more deserving.
Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez deserves to win the NL Cy Young award over Paul Skenes
Sánchez pitched like he was on a mission from April to September. He turned in one of the best starting pitching seasons in Phillies history behind some remarkable numbers.
Aced it ✔️ pic.twitter.com/XxfCoRE8EN
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 29, 2025
It's still crazy that the league couldn't at least name Sánchez an All-Star this season since he was unavailable to pitch in the game. He's been everything the Phillies needed and more this season, and his success earned him the ball in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday. He carved up the Dodgers through 5 2/3 innings before a two-run double drove him from the game.
Sánchez suddenly became the ace on a 96-win NL East champion Phillies squad that's starving for a championship. His value to the team is currently at an all-time high without Wheeler. He was literally the most valuable pitcher in baseball in terms of WAR, with a league-leading 8.0 bWAR that earned him some Cy Young praise from teammate Matt Strahm.
The popular choice to take home the award is the Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes, and it's understandable to see why, as he's arguably the best pitcher in the entire sport at just 23 years old. He led the entire league in ERA, ERA+ and WHIP, with his 1.97 ERA lowering his career mark to 1.96 through his first two seasons. Skenes has an unbelievably bright future ahead of him, but the same cannot be said about the team he plays for.
It's well known that the Pirates' frugal ways are holding Skenes back, and he's voiced his opinion on the team refusing to build a competent roster around him. The Pirates won just 71 games this season and have MLB's second longest active playoff drought, dating back to 2015. Despite his brilliance, Skenes unbelievably finished with a .500 record this season due to the Pirates finishing dead last in runs scored with 583.
Jacob deGrom famously won the 2018 NL Cy Young with a 10-9 record, but at least his New York Mets tried to field a competitive team with a payroll of around $150 million that year. The Pirates routinely place in the bottom-five in MLB payroll, with their 2025 total of $84 million ranking them 29th in the league.
No starter has ever won a Cy Young with a record of .500 or worse, and it's a true disgrace that the Pirates are already wasting some historic seasons from their young ace. It's unlikely, but the Pirates' refusal to build a contender around a generational talent like Skenes should mean something to voters, especially when compared to the success of the Phillies with Sánchez leading the way.