The National Pitcher of the Year Award: The ultimate guide and history

North Carolina right-hander Jake Knapp won the 2025 National Pitcher of the Year Award. 

He is the 16th recipient of the award and first Tar Heels pitcher to win it after posting a 14-0 record — the best in DI baseball — and a 2.02 ERA. After missing the 2024 season due to a UCL tear in his right arm, the graduate senior was named ACC Pitcher of the Year and received first-team All-ACC selection.

Here’s some history on the National Pitcher of the Year Award.

NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR: What is it?

Since 2009, the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) has given an award annually to the nation’s top collegiate pitcher. 

Equating to Major League Baseball (MLB), it is college baseball’s version of the MLB’s Cy Young Award.

The award winner is typically announced around mid-June, in the past few years during the Men’s College World Series. In past years, the recipient is presented at the CBF’s annual Night of Champions event in Lubbock, Texas, alongside the Brooks Wallace Award, John Olerud Award, Skip Bertman Award and more. 

COLLEGE BASEBALL AWARDS: History of the Golden Spikes Award

NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR: What came before it?

Until the National Pitcher of the Year award was introduced, the accolade was known as the Roger Clemens Award, which was given to the top DI collegiate pitcher by the Greater Houston Baseball Association.

Named after 11-time MLB all-star right-hander Roger Clemens, the award lasted from 2004 to 2008. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young winner, dominated on the mound at Texas, securing All-American seasons and helping the Longhorns win the 1983 Men’s College World Series. 

Here’s a list of the Roger Clemens Award winners:

*Winner of Golden Spikes Award and/or Dick Howser Trophy

The Roger Clemens Award succeeded the Rotary Smith Award, an honor given to the most outstanding college baseball player from 1988 to 2003.

NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD: History of the Dick Howser Trophy

THE DICK HOWSER TROPHY: A history of winners

Stephen Strasburg was the first recipient of the award in 2009 following a historic season at San Diego State. Strasburg also won the Dick Howser Trophy, college baseball’s National Player of the Year award, and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals.

Here are a few facts about the 16 winners of the award:

• Four pitchers, 25 percent of the winners, have been awarded the Golden Spikes Award and/or Dick Howser Trophy in the same year. They are Stephen Strasburg (2009), Trevor Bauer (2011), Kevin Kopps (2021) and Paul Skenes (2023)
• Three winners went on to be selected first overall in their MLB respective drafts — Strasburg, Bauer and Skenes. Thirteen of the 15 recipients were drafted, including 12 in the first round and eight in the top 10.
• Arkansas right-hander Kevin Kopps, the 2021 winner, became the first primarily reliever to win the award 
• Kent State left-hander Eric Lauer, the 2016 winner, was nearly untouchable, posting a 0.69 ERA across 15 starts
• Strasburg and Kopps, the first and 12th winners respectively, are the only recipients to run the table and win National Pitcher of the Year, Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award.  

In 2009 Stephen Strasburg dominated college baseball

Here’s the full list of National Pitcher of the Year Award recipients:

 **Winner of Golden Spikes Award and/or Dick Howser Trophy