There wasn’t a game that Paul Skenes pitched in this season that didn’t result in a must-see environment. 

The reigning National League Rookie of the Year threw seven different pitches this year to keep hitters off balance to the tune of a 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 216 strikeouts over 187 2/3 innings to unanimously win the National League Cy Young Award.

The numbers were outrageous: 
•  Five or less hits allowed in 25 of 32 starts 
•  Three or less hits allowed in 13 starts 
•  Zero earned runs in 14 starts 
•  One earned run in six starts 
•  Two earned runs in six starts 
•  A total of 20 quality starts

The numbers were certainly worthy of the postseason accolades, which also included a selection onto the All-MLB First Team for a second straight year and a sixth-place finish in National League Most Valuable Player voting. 

Skenes was a must-see attraction and there were plenty of memorable moments from his Cy Young season. Here’s my top-five list: 

No. 5: Skenes’ early test vs. the Dodgers

One of the more hyped pitching matchups of the entire baseball season was Skenes’ April 25 start against Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the road against the Dodgers.

Yamamoto tossed five innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and four walks. With close to 40 family members and friends in attendance to watch him pitch in his home state, Skenes was the more dominant starter, allowing five hits with no walks and nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

While the pitching matchup delivered as expected, the capper was Skenes going up against Shohei Ohtani in this fifth-inning at-bat with a runner at second base and two outs: 

                                                                             

That moment began with Skenes falling into a 3-1 count before he rallied back. Ohtani fouled off a splinker out of the zone and then failed to catch up to that un-hittable curveball for the strikeout. 

“What do I have to lose?” Skenes said of his mentality in the 3-1 count. “Let’s see what we’re made of, let’s see how my stuff is, and if he’s supposed to get out, he’ll get out.”

No. 4: Complete-game loss to the Phillies

In a season of frustrating losses and no-decisions, Skenes’ road start on May 18 against the Phillies was disheartening. 

The Phillies had just called up Mick Abel, who was making his major-league debut. He went on to toss six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and no walks, while striking out nine. Again, Skenes was even more dominant, allowing one earned run on three hits and a walk to go along with nine strikeouts over eight innings. Despite all of that, he suffered a hard-luck loss. 

Baseball Reference charted Skenes with an 80 game score, his highest score of the entire season. It was clear from the start, Skenes had something special going, as he had his fastball ramped up to 100 MPH on this fastball to Bryce Harper in the first inning. 

The look to the Phillies dugout and stride off the mound said it all:

                                                                             

It was following this particular performance, one in which he more than held up his end of the bargain, when Skenes was seen staring out onto the field from the dugout railing:

                                                                             

No. 3: Skenes’ showdown with Sanchez

A few weeks later on June 8, Skenes had his rematch against the Phillies. This time, Cristopher Sanchez — the unanimous second-place finisher in the National League Cy Young Award voting — kept Skenes from winning another outstanding start. 

Sanchez went seven innings, allowed two earned runs on six hits with two walks and struck out nine. Skenes allowed one unearned run, two hits, one walk and struck out seven over 7 2/3 innings. The Pirates managed to score late and earn a 2-1 win, but it wasn’t enough to give Skenes a winning decision. 

No. 2: Second straight All-Star start 

Skenes was a surprise rookie starter in last year’s All-Star Game, but it was rather expected that he would get a second consecutive starting nod at this year’s mid-summer classic. 

He blew a 100 MPH fastball past Gleyber Torres, leaving the Tigers second baseman with nothing left to do but mumble to himself on his way back to the dugout: 

                                                                             

Seeing one Tiger head back to the dugout after a strikeout wasn’t enough in this short outing. Skenes collected back-to-back 100 MPH strikeouts, this one on Riley Greene, who joined Torres in disbelief:

                                                                             

No. 1: Dodgers silenced again

Skenes’ road start against the Dodgers earlier in the season was topped by his second to last home start of the season on Sept. 4, as he went six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out eight to win his 10th game of the season. 

Ohtani struck out twice, including in his first at-bat in which Skenes delivered this first-inning 99 MPH fastball up in the zone: 

                                                                             

In the biggest moments against the best teams, Skenes shined on the mound. In 18 starts against playoff teams, Skenes allowed just 23 earned runs over 103 2/3 innings. That’s a 2.00 ERA. 

To put it all into perspective, those playoff teams averaged 4.73 runs per game. Against Skenes, those particular offensive units were certainly less than average.