Picture this: A star pitcher clinches baseball's highest individual honor while his team flops harder than a bad reality TV show. That's Paul Skenes in 2025, mirroring the iconic Steve Carlton's groundbreaking 1972 season that revolutionized how we view pitching greatness. But here's where it gets controversial – does sheer dominance outweigh a team's mediocrity? Stick around, because this tale of triumph against the odds might just challenge what you think makes a pitcher 'the best.'
Many baseball insiders believe Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates' standout rookie sensation and 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, is poised as one of the finest young hurlers in today's major leagues. He snagged the Cy Young Award in 2025 as his circuit's premier pitcher, boasting an astonishing 1.97 earned run average (that's the average number of runs he allowed per nine innings pitched, a key stat showing how effectively he prevented scoring) and racking up 216 strikeouts. All this despite a middling .500 record of 10 wins and 10 losses. Over his first two seasons with the struggling Pirates, Skenes has compiled a 21-13 mark, 386 strikeouts, and a razor-sharp 1.96 ERA.
He might have notched even more victories if he'd been on a powerhouse squad like the Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees, or Blue Jays. But top draft picks often don't land on contenders right away – at least, not until they've logged enough experience to hit free agency or get swapped in trades.
I was rooting for Christopher Sanchez of the Phillies to take home the Cy Young with his solid 13-5 record, 2.50 ERA, and 212 strikeouts, but the voters went with Skenes. And this is the part most people miss – it sparked a heated debate right in my neighborhood.
My neighbor Michael flagged me down during my dog-walking stroll, puzzled about how a pitcher with equal wins and losses could be hailed as the top dog. I pointed out that modern evaluators prioritize metrics like ERA and strikeouts over traditional wins, plus Skenes was pitching for a bottom-feeder team.
'So was Steve Carlton in 1972,' Michael shot back, 'and he racked up 27 wins.'
Point goes to Michael – he nailed a valid critique. No one has ever been more worthy of the Cy Young than Carlton, that towering lefty who posted a 27-10 record, 1.97 ERA, and 310 strikeouts in '72. The Phillies eked out just 59 wins against 97 losses, but Carlton clinched the pitching triple crown – leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts – all while anchored to a last-place outfit.
Calling Carlton dominant in 1972 is like saying Michael Jordan showed some skill by dunking a basketball; it barely scratches the surface. The Phillies were a disaster that year – lousy hitting, shaky defense, and weak pitching beyond Carlton. Yet, none of that hindered him; he single-handedly drove 45.7% of his team's wins.
Carlton was unstoppable, reeling off 15 straight victories. The Phillies scored two runs or fewer in 11 of his starts, and he won nine of those. His 12.5 WAR (Wins Above Replacement, a stat that quantifies a player's total value compared to a average filler) stood as the highest since Hall of Fame legend Walter Johnson back in 1913.
And get this: Carlton threw 30 complete games (meaning he pitched the entire game without relief), faced 1,351 batters, recorded eight shutouts (games where he allowed zero runs), surrendered a mere 76 earned runs all season, and issued just 87 walks – only eight intentional. For beginners, these numbers highlight his efficiency and control, rarely seen in today's game with pitch limits and relief-heavy strategies.
He even faced off against his old St. Louis Cardinals buddy Bob Gibson on April 19, 1972, pitching a shutout and getting two hits off the future Hall of Famer. Carlton bested the Cardinals again on September 7 in a brisk 2-1 win that lasted just 1 hour and 49 minutes, marking his 100th career victory.
Back then, Major League Baseball didn't need a pitch clock – Carlton hustled between pitches and thrived on unmatched focus, mental toughness, and peak physical fitness. As noted on his official site, stevecarlton.com, the 10-time All-Star amassed over 5,000 innings and pitched into his 40s thanks to staying in top shape. He debuted with the Cardinals in 1965, retired with the Twins in 1988, and played for the White Sox, Giants, Indians, and especially shone in 15 years with the Phillies.
Author Rich Westcott, in his book 'Philadelphia’s Top Fifty Baseball Players' from the University of Nebraska Press, quotes Phillies Hall of Fame outfielder and broadcaster Richie Ashburn: 'Lefty was a craftsman, an artist. He was a perfectionist. He painted a ballgame. Stroke, stroke, stroke, and when he got through it was a masterpiece. There was nothing accidental about it. His games were perfectly orchestrated.' Ashburn, who broadcast Phillies games during Carlton's Philly era, witnessed that mastery up close.
Carlton commanded a lethal slider that darted late, leaving batters scrambling, paired with a blazing fastball and a sweeping curve. He became the first to claim four Cy Youngs and the last to hurl over 300 innings in a season, tossing 304 for the 1980 World Series-winning Phillies.
As a four-time 20-game winner – with 27 in '72, 20 in '76, 23 in '77, and 24 in '80 – he won Games 2 and 6 of the 1980 World Series as the Phillies toppled the Royals for their first championship. To put it in modern context, only five National League pitchers have hit 20 wins in the past decade: Jake Arrieta (22 for the 2015 Cubs), Max Scherzer (20 for the 2016 Nationals), Julio Urias (20 for the 2021 Dodgers), Kyle Wright (20 for the 2022 Braves), and Spencer Strider (20 for the 2023 Braves).
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994, Carlton's records – 329 wins, 55 shutouts, and 4,136 strikeouts – remain nearly untouchable.
He celebrates his 81st birthday this Monday. Happy birthday, Lefty!
But let's stir the pot: Is Carlton's 1972 feat a timeless standard, or do you believe today's emphasis on ERA and strikeouts undervalues wins as a team contributor? Some argue that pitching for a weak team actually highlights a pitcher's true skill, while others say wins reflect real impact. What do you think – should the Cy Young criteria evolve, or is it already spot on? Drop your opinions in the comments and let's debate!
David Jolley is a writer, author, public relations and marketing communications consultant, sports fan and historian. For more content, visit davidajolley.com.
