The National Pitcher of the Year Awards: History, Winners & Legacy

Jake Knapp, a right-hander for North Carolina, was named the 2025 National Pitcher of the Year.

After recording a 14-0 record, which is the best in DI baseball, and a 2.02 ERA, he became the first pitcher from the Tar Heels to win the honor and the 16th overall. The graduate senior was selected to the first team All-ACC and won ACC Pitcher of the Year after missing the 2024 season because of a UCL injury in his right arm.

The National Pitcher of the Year Award’s history is provided here.

What is the National Pitcher of The Year?

The top collegiate pitcher in the country has received an award every year since 2009 from the College Baseball Foundation (CBF).

It is comparable to Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Cy Young Award in college baseball.

In recent years, the prize recipient has been revealed during the Men’s College World Series, usually in mid-June. The honoree has previously received the Brooks Wallace Award, John Olerud Award, Skip Bertman Award, and other honors at the CBF’s annual Night of Champions event in Lubbock, Texas.

What before the National Pitcher of the Year award?

Prior to the establishment of the National Pitcher of the Year award, the Greater Houston Baseball Association presented the Roger Clemens Award to the best DI collegiate pitcher.

The award, which was given in honor of right-hander Roger Clemens, an 11-time MLB all-star, was given out between 2004 and 2008. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young winner, helped the Longhorns win the 1983 Men’s College World Series and secured All-American seasons while dominating on the mound at Texas.

The Roger Clemens Award recipients are listed below:

The Rotary Smith Award, which was given to the best collegiate baseball player from 1988 to 2003, was replaced by the Roger Clemens Award.

A history of the Dick Howser Trophy winners

In 2009, after a great season at San Diego State, Stephen Strasburg became the first person to receive the award. In addition to winning the Dick Howser Trophy and collegiate baseball’s National Player of the Year honor, Strasburg was chosen by the Washington Nationals with the first overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft.

Here are some interesting facts about the 16 winners of this award:

• Four pitchers, making up 25 percent of the winners, have received both the Golden Spikes Award and/or the Dick Howser Trophy in the same year. These include Stephen Strasburg (2009), Trevor Bauer (2011), Kevin Kopps (2021), and Paul Skenes (2023).
• Three of the winners were selected first overall in their respective MLB drafts — Strasburg, Bauer, and Skenes. Out of the 15 recipients, 13 were drafted, with 12 going in the first round and eight landing in the top 10.
• Kevin Kopps, the 2021 winner and a right-hander from Arkansas, made history as the first primarily relief pitcher to earn this award.
• Eric Lauer, a left-hander from Kent State and the 2016 winner, was nearly unbeatable, achieving a remarkable 0.69 ERA over 15 starts.
• Strasburg and Kopps, the first and 12th winners respectively, are the only recipients to achieve the trifecta of winning the National Pitcher of the Year, the Dick Howser Trophy, and the Golden Spikes Award.

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