Tarik Skubal Joins Tigers' Legendary Pitchers with Cy Young Triumph

The Detroit Tigers' storied history of award-winning pitchers has a new addition: Tarik Skubal. The dominant left-hander capped his exceptional pitching Triple Crown season by winning the American League Cy Young Award in a unanimous vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Skubal follows in the footsteps of Justin Verlander, the last Tigers pitcher to achieve a pitching Triple Crown season and win the Cy Young Award back in 2011. Like Verlander, Skubal received all 30 first-place votes, highlighting his standout performance throughout the season.

"It's pretty special," Skubal shared with MLB Network. "All the hard work, all that goes on behind the scenes, moments like this make it all worth it."

This accolade marks a fitting end to a historic season for Skubal. As the Tigers fought their way to their first playoff berth in a decade with their mantra of "pitching chaos," Skubal emerged as the cornerstone of their pitching staff. In some stretches, he was essentially the entire rotation, sometimes serving as the only traditional starter, other times paired with rookie Keider Montero.

"We wouldn't be here without him," teammate Riley Greene said during the AL Division Series. "I get it's a team game, but he's been incredible. I'm so proud of him. He had one of the greatest years I've ever seen. He's played a big role on this team, been a leader since Day 1. I just can't say enough about him. He's awesome."

Skubal's performance was indeed remarkable. He secured 18 wins, the most by a Tigers pitcher since Max Scherzer in 2014. His 2.39 ERA was the lowest by a qualified Detroit starter since Mark Fidrych’s incredible rookie season in 1976. With a 5.9 fWAR, Skubal trailed only Verlander’s 2009 and 2010 seasons as the best by a Tigers pitcher in his age-27 season or younger since 1971. Additionally, his 6.3 bWAR not only led all MLB pitchers but also ranked seventh among all AL players.

Skubal consistently held opponents to two runs or fewer in 24 of his 31 starts and managed to pitch at least six innings in 21 of those games. He was instrumental during the Tigers’ critical stretch-run, securing pivotal 2-1 victories with eight innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox on August 31 and seven scoreless innings against the Rays on September 24.

​Tarik Skubal’s Cy Young Award is a testament to his extraordinary talent, hard work, and resilience. As he continues to build on this success, he firmly establishes himself as a key figure in the Tigers' illustrious legacy of pitching excellence.