Wednesday night, West Coast League alumnus Tarik Skubal made history by capturing his second consecutive American League Cy Young Award. Prior to his pro career, the Detroit Tigers left-hander pitched for the Kitsap BlueJackets in 2014, followed by four years at Seattle University, before being drafted by Detroit in 2018.
Skubal became the first A.L. pitcher in a quarter-century to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards and just the fifth all-time, joining Denny McLain, Jim Palmer, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martinez.

The southpaw led MLB with a 0.89 WHIP and the American League with a 2.21 ERA. He also just missed a second straight “pitching Triple Crown,” finishing second in the A.L. with 241 strikeouts (Garrett Crochet, 255). Skubal captured 26 of 30 first-place Cy Young votes.

In National League Cy Young balloting, Padres righthander Nick Pivetta drew support from voters after anchoring San Diego’s rotation with a 13-5 record and career-best 2.87 ERA. Pivetta, a native of Victoria, British Columbia, pitched for his hometown HarbourCats in 2013, that team’s inaugural WCL season.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who played for the Corvallis Knights in 2016, earned his fourth consecutive Gold Glove. He became the third player in MLB history (Ichiro Suzuki, Nolan Arenado) to win a Gold Glove in each of his first four seasons. He led MLB left fielders with 22 defensive runs saved and led all outfielders with 13 assists.

In addition to Kwan, the following WCL alumni qualified as Gold Glove finalists: outfielder Kyle Stowers (Miami Marlins/Bellingham Bells); and pitchers Matthew Boyd (Chicago Cubs/Corvallis Knights) and David Peterson (New York Mets/Medford Rogues).

“Every fall,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer, “we watch our alumni shine in October, then collect laurels in November. With the immense talent that continues flowing from the West Coast League to Major League Baseball, we’ll keep having plenty of players to cheer for.”

About the West Coast League
For 20 seasons, the West Coast League has been western North America’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. With teams ranging throughout Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta, the WCL offers top collegiate players the chance to compete at a high level, develop their skills, and showcase their talents in front of thousands of fans, MLB scouts, and national media.