DETROIT -- Former Wayne State University pitcher Hunter Brown (2017-19) has been named one of three finalists for Major League Baseball's (MLB) American League Cy Young Award.  Introduced in 1956, the honor is given annually to the best pitchers in the MLB, one each for the American League and National League.

Brown is joined by Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers and Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox.  The winner, which will be determined by voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), will be announced at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 12 on MLB Network.

Brown, 27, had the best season of his career and was the anchor of the Houston Astros' pitching staff.  He made 31 starts and was 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA and a career-best WHIP of 1.03.  He struck out a career-high 206 batters in 185 1/3 innings and allowed only 133 hits.  He had eight starts in which he didn't allow a run.

Among AL starters, Brown ranked first in opponents' slugging percentage (.318), second in ERA and opponents' OPS (.589), tied for second in quality starts (21), third in strikeouts, fourth in WHIP, strikeouts per nine innings (10.0) and pitching WAR (4.8, FanGraphs) and fifth in opponents' batting average (.201).

The longest scoreless streak in the Major Leagues in 2025 belonged to Brown, who threw 28 scoreless innings from April 3-27 -- the fifth-longest single-season streak by a starter in Astros history.  Brown was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for June, posting a 1.19 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP in 30 1/3 innings, with Houston winning all five of his starts during the month.  He began the season with seven consecutive quality starts, becoming the first pitcher to do that since Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber had eight in a row to start the '21 season.

If Brown wins, he would be the fifth Astros pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, joining Justin Verlander (2019, '22), Dallas Keuchel (2015), Roger Clemens (2004) and Mike Scott (1986).