Detroit Tigers Ace Enters Home Stretch as Unanimous AL Cy Young Favorite

Tarik Skubal is tracking to win his second straight AL Cy Young Award, leading the Detroit Tigers' rotation with yet another dominant season on the mound.

Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts after he gets a strike out to end the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

In case there was any doubt about who had the strongest position in the annual awards race, one pitcher has already won over his entire base with less than two months to go.

A panel of MLB.com experts submitted ballots for the AL and NL Cy Young Awards, based on what players have accomplished to this point in the season and what they are projected to over the next eight weeks. On the National League side, Paul Skenes earned 26 first-place votes, but the voters were even more aligned in the American League.

Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal collected all 32 first-place votes from the panel of reporters and analysts. Boston Red Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet sits in second in the race, but not one pundit has him ranked above Skubal.

Tarik Skubal remains atop the AL Cy Young Poll in his quest to win the award for a second consecutive season 🐅 pic.twitter.com/3ElumCdOeD

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2025

Skubal was already named AL Cy Young in 2024, after he won the pitching Triple Crown in his breakout season. Through 22 starts in 2025, Skubal leads the AL in WAR, ERA, winning percentage and strikeouts per nine innings, all while leading the entirety of MLB in WHIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The 28-year-old two-time All-Star is 11-3 with a 2.18 ERA, 0.832 WHIP, 1.95 FIP, 189 ERA+, 11.6 strikeouts, 9.53 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 5.6 WAR.

Skubal's next start is scheduled for Friday against the Los Angeles Angels.

There has not been a back-to-back Cy Young winner in the AL since Pedro Martínez did so with the Red Sox in 1999 and 2000.

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