Cristopher Sanchez finished as the unanimous runner-up in the 2025 NL Cy Young voting

Cristopher Sánchez came up just short of the NL Cy Young on Tuesday night, finishing as the unanimous runner-up in one of the clearest award races baseball has seen in years. Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes won every single first place vote and locked up the trophy with 210 points.

Cristopher Sánchez claimed every single second place vote for a perfect 120 points. Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished third. The Phillies were well represented with Jesús Luzardo finishing seventh and Zack Wheeler finishing ninth.

Cristopher Sanchez finishes 2nd in NL Cy Young voting

Cristopher Sánchez was a workhorse for the @Phillies in 2025:

One of three starting pitchers to reach 200+ IP
One of twelve pitchers to surpass 200+ strikeouts

He finished 2nd in NL Cy Young voting! pic.twitter.com/XkFNrR74g0

— MLB (@MLB) November 13, 2025

Sánchez and Skenes were the only pitchers to appear on every ballot. It marked the first time since the BBWAA switched to the five pitcher ballot in 2010 that the winner swept every first place vote and the runner-up swept every second place vote. There was no debate. Skenes was untouchable and Sánchez was the clear number two.

Cristopher Sánchez earned it.

The 28 year old lefty took a massive leap and became one of the most dominant pitchers in the sport. He went 13 and 5 with a 2.50 ERA across 32 starts. He threw a career high 202 innings, struck out 212 hitters, and walked only 44.

He led Major League Baseball with 8.0 bWAR and finished second in the National League with 6.4 fWAR. When Wheeler went down in August with a season ending blood clot, Sánchez became the engine of the Phillies rotation and never blinked.

The numbers behind his breakout are even more ridiculous. His changeup turned into baseball’s most devastating offspeed weapon. Opponents hit .170 against it. They swung through it more than 45 percent of the time.

Sánchez struck out 130 hitters with his changeup, which led the entire league. No pitch in baseball produced more strikeouts on a single offspeed or breaking pitch. When that changeup was cooking, hitters had no chance.

Cristopher Sánchez would have joined Pedro Martinez, Bartolo Colon, and Sandy Alcántara as the fourth Dominican born pitcher to win the Cy Young. Obviously he didn’t get the trophy, but he earned legitimate ace status and became one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball.

Wild: Cristopher Sánchez wasn’t even an All-Star this year

Cristopher Sánchez wasn't an All-Star this year but he was the unanimous second-place pick for the National League Cy Young Award. That's pretty crazy. pic.twitter.com/pKh8cv9boU

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) November 13, 2025

Zack Wheeler underwent thoracic outlet surgery on September 23, and the Phillies are hopeful he can return close to Opening Day. If he is not ready, the Phillies have the luxury of handing the ball to a pitcher who just finished second in the Cy Young voting.

Cristopher Sánchez announced himself this year and he is only getting started.

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