If you’re looking beyond football, the 2025 MLB pitching leaderboards are a must-watch storyline. With six weeks to go, the Cy Young conversation is turning into a three-horse sprint—Paul Skenes (PIT), Tarik Skubal (DET), Zack Wheeler (PHI)—while late-inning monsters like Robert Suarez (SD) and Carlos Estévez (KC) could swing playoff fates.

The Starters: Who owns the mound right now?

Paul Skenes, Pirates — ERA leader

• ERA: 2.13 (MLB-best as of Aug 19)

• Why it matters: Run prevention travels; Skenes’ efficiency keeps Pittsburgh in tight games. ESPN.com

Tarik Skubal, Tigers — strikeout machine

• K: 190 (No. 2 MLB), ERA: 2.42

• Why it matters: Whiffs erase defense variance. Skubal’s K rate is keeping Detroit on the fringes of the race. ESPN.com

Zack Wheeler, Phillies — workhorse ace

• K: 195 (MLB leader), QS: 16 (T-2 MLB)

• Why it matters: Volume + quality starts stabilize a frontrunner; Philly sits atop the NL East. ESPN.comStatMuse

Other names in the chat

• Andrew Abbott (CIN) ERA 2.41 | Hunter Brown (HOU) ERA 2.45 — quietly elite.

• Garrett Crochet (BOS) 13 wins — wins aren’t everything, but they still influence voters. ESPN.com

The Bullpen X-Factors: October belongs to closers

Robert Suarez, Padres — saves leader

• SV: 33 (MLB-best as of Aug 19)

• Impact: Pads’ one-run win blueprint starts here. ESPN.com

Carlos Estévez, Royals — career year

• SV: 31 (No. 2 MLB); KC riding late-inning momentum—including a 4–3 win over TEX boosted by Estévez’s 32nd save noted locally.

• Impact: If the Royals crash the Wild Card, his ninth-innings will be the receipt. ESPN.comRoyals Review

Trevor Megill (MIL), Andrés Muñoz (SEA), Josh Hader (HOU)

• All 28–29+ saves — leverage darlings for clubs eyeing seeding. ESPN.com

Context check: Who’s actually positioned to benefit?

• Phillies still set the NL pace—Wheeler’s dominance plus a deep pen make them a metrics and vibes favorite. StatMuse

• Royals nudged above .500 and keep clawing at the Wild Card; Estévez’s saves are the heartbeat. Royals Review

• League-wide picture updates live—keep an eye on official standings as tiebreakers tighten. MLB.comESPN.comCBSSports.com

What to watch this week

• K-watch: Can Skubal overtake Wheeler? A single 10-K start flips the board. ESPN.com

• Save race: Suarez vs. Estévez—every narrow win matters for seedings (and hardware narratives). ESPN.com

• ERA leaderboard: If Skenes holds sub-2.20 into September, history chatter gets loud. ESPN.com

Bottom line

The 2025 Cy Young story is a razor’s edge between run prevention (Skenes), strikeout dominance (Skubal), and workhorse consistency (Wheeler). Layer in a tight saves race and you’ve got appointment viewing every fifth day—and every ninth inning.