Paul Skenes Cards Would Get a Boost From This Rare Feat

Apart from the win-loss column, Paul Skenes is living his best life. He's arguably the game's most dominant pitcher; he's dating his college sweetheart, gymnast-influencer Livvy Dunne; and he already has a million dollar card.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes walks the red carpet with LSU gymnast and girlfriend Livvy Dunne. — Jul 16, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes walks the red carpet with LSU gymnast and girlfriend Livvy Dunne | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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Following his five innings of shutout ball against the Cubs on June 13, Skenes boasts a 1.78 ERA and 0.85 WHIP (walks plus hits per nine innings). Over his last 7 games, the numbers are even sicker: 0.76 in each department! Add to that 97 strikeouts in only 96 innings, and you have the makings of a runaway Cy Young Award winner. In truth, only two things stand in the way of the young Pirates ace's bringing home the hardware.

The first obstacle to a Skenes Cy Young season is that two other National Leaguers are quickly putting together award-worthy seasons: Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers and Kodai Senga of the Mets. Were voting to occur today, it's likely Senga would have the edge. On the other hand, Skenes seems to be getting better with every start.

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Jun 12, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The second obstacle to a Skenes Cy Young season, if you believe in this sort of thing, is that it would be nearly unprecedented. To date, there has only been one instance of a pitcher winning the Rookie of the Year award and Cy Young Award in back-to-back seasons, and it happened 40 years ago! The last hurler to do it? Legendary Mets phenom Dwight Gooden, also known as Dr. K.

7-Eleven Slurpee coins of Dwight Gooden | Author's personal collection

Without a doubt, a 2025 National League Cy Young Award would provide a boost to Skenes' card values, though it's hard to say just how big the boost would be. At the same time, the trajectory of Gooden's career (and card values!) offer a cautionary tale. While collectors at the time optimistically saw his 1984 ROY and 1985 CYA seasons as an early indicator of just how great his Hall of Fame would be, the truth is that those two seasons proved to be his two best.

Paul Skenes Topps NOW Game-used Ball Relic # to 49 or Lower | Topps.com (click image for source page)

While Doc's downfall was plagued by various off-the-field issues--notably drugs and alcohol--that Skenes may well steer clear of, it's probably naive to ignore arm overuse as another factor in his decline. Here, collectors can hope Skenes will dodge similar, but these days, even with five-man rotations and pitch count restrictions, arm injuries remain commonplace.

Dwight Gooden at a 1986 World Series reunion at Citi Field, 2016. — May 28, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets former pitcher Dwight Gooden is introduced to the crowd | Andy Marlin-Imagn Images

When it comes down to it, collectors can neither predict nor control the future. What they can do is enjoy the moment, which right now if you're a Skenes collector, is looking pretty darn good!