Paul Skenes earned a record $3.4 million via Major League Baseball’s pre-arbitration bonus pool this year. He’s now earned $5.6 million through the initiative over the last two years.
A significant portion of these earnings stem from his National League Cy Young Award win ($2.5 million) this year and his third-place finish in Cy Young Award voting ($1.5 million) last year.
Players are eligible to receive a bonus for just one award per year. If they are in the running for multiple bonuses, they’ll earn the one with the highest amount. The remaining money is disbursed by a WAR formula.