Why Washington Nationals Ace MacKenzie Gore Could Win NL Cy Young Award
When the Washington Nationals traded Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres in 2022, everybody knew how phenomenal of a player the franchise was losing.
Few could have predicted just how well the Nationals would do with what they got in return in the deal.
Shortstop C.J. Abrams and outfielder James Wood look like cornerstone, superstar players (especially Wood), and MacKenzie Gore has blossomed into the ace of the team's pitching staff.
So far in the 2025 season, Gore has shown that he has even more potential he's yet to realize, and if he continues down the path he's on, this season could end with him taking home the National League Cy Young award.
It may sound far-fetched, but the performances he's strung together so far are reflective of that level of pitcher, and there's nothing in the underlying numbers to suggest he's riding an unsustainable hot streak.
The Padres made Gore the No. 3 overall pick out of Whiteville High in North Carolina in the 2017 MLB draft, and he quickly established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the sport.
His breakthrough didn't come quite as quickly as San Diego would have hoped, which is why he became available in the package to acquire Soto.
That breakout is finally here, and it's spectacular.
Gore is 1-2 with a 3.52 ERA, but prior to a hiccup in his last start, that number sat at 2.65. According to Fangraphs, Gore's FIP is 2.28 while his xFIP is 2.72, both phenomenal markers that suggest he's pitched even better than his ERA suggests.
It all started on Opening Day, when Gore took on a tough matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies and carved right through a fearsome lineup, blanking the Phils through six dominant innings while he struck out 13 opponents.
Given the state of Washington's bullpen, Gore likely won't rack up enough wins to fit the profile of a traditional Cy Young winner, but it's 2025 now, and we've moved beyond holding starters responsible for what happens after they leave the game in award considerations.
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds look like the leaders in the race right now, and they both lead Gore in fWAR and ERA.
However, Gore is striking hitters out at a rate well above both of them (12.52 per 9 vs. Skenes' 9.62 and Greene's 10.08).
If the Washington southpaw can sustain that level of strikeout dominance, he'll put himself in great position to bring his ERA back in line with his peripheral numbers.
It's a tall order, but he can have himself right in the thick of the race down the stretch if he achieves it.
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Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.