The most recent pitchers to achieve the Pitching Triple Crown are Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers. They accomplished this feat in a full Major League Baseball season.
What is a Pitching Triple Crown?
A Pitching Triple Crown is a distinguished individual honor in baseball awarded to a pitcher who leads their respective league (American League or National League) in three key statistical categories in the same season:
- Wins (W): The highest number of wins recorded by a pitcher.
- Earned Run Average (ERA): The lowest average of earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched.
- Strikeouts (K): The highest total number of batters struck out.
This accomplishment signifies a pitcher's dominance across multiple crucial aspects of the game, demonstrating their ability to win games, prevent runs effectively, and overpower opposing hitters.
Recent Pitching Triple Crown Winners
While Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal are the latest to achieve this rare distinction in a full season, the last pitcher to win a Triple Crown before them was Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) in the 2020 MLB season. It's important to note that the 2020 season was significantly shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For pitchers accomplishing the Triple Crown in a full, traditional MLB season prior to Sale and Skubal, the last instances occurred in 2011. That year saw Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the National League and Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers lead the American League in all three categories.
Here's a summary of recent Pitching Triple Crown winners:
| Year | Pitcher | Team | League | Wins | ERA | Strikeouts | Season Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Chris Sale | Atlanta Braves | National League | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full |
| Current | Tarik Skubal | Detroit Tigers | American League | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full |
| 2020 | Shane Bieber | Cleveland Indians | American League | 8 | 1.63 | 122 | Shortened |
| 2011 | Clayton Kershaw | Los Angeles Dodgers | National League | 21 | 2.28 | 248 | Full |
| 2011 | Justin Verlander | Detroit Tigers | American League | 24 | 2.40 | 250 | Full |
Note: Specific statistical figures for Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal are not provided in the reference, but their achievement in a full season is confirmed.
The Pitching Triple Crown remains one of baseball's most elusive and celebrated achievements, underscoring a truly exceptional season for any pitcher who attains it.
