Detroit Tigers Ace Has Clear Path To Repeat As American League Cy Young

Is there anyone who poses a threat to the ace of the Detroit Tigers for the Cy Young award?

Mar 3, 2025; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

With spring training starting to wind down for the Detroit Tigers, the team is focused on repeating their success of last season. 

Coming into the new campaign, the Tigers are in better shape to contend than they have been in a long time. 

This winter, the focus of the team was improving a pitching staff that, while good, did have some holes in 2024. 

The additions of Jack Flaherty, Alex Cobb, and Tommy Kahnle will help fill a couple of needs for the team. 

Most notably, the addition of Flaherty will provide them with another front-end starter, which they were lacking outside their ace in the postseason. 

Luckily, with the addition of some more depth to their rotation, the team is poised for great things this coming year. But that will all start with the ace of the staff.  

Brian Murphy of MLB.com recently spoke about Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal being the clear-cut favorite to repeat as the American League Cy Young. 

“Skubal is the easy No. 1 pick here. Besides the fact that he is a 28-year-old ace at the peak of his powers and coming off of a Triple Crown campaign, Skubal’s path to back-to-back Cy Young Awards looks especially clear when you consider his top competition for the honor.”

Not only was it a breakout year for the talented left-hander, but it was the best campaign from any pitcher in the American League by a significant margin. 

Skubal was able to win the triple-crown in the league with 18 wins, 228 strikeouts, and a 2.39 ERA. 

It was an all-around great season for the 28-year-old and a massive leap forward in his production level compared to previous years. 

Detroit leaned heavily on their ace in the second half of the year and in the postseason. Now, he should have a lot more support around him in the rotation, which will help some of the weight off his shoulders. 

When looking at trying to complete the challenging task of repeating as the American League Cy Young, he certainly has an advantage over the competition. 

While there are some talented relief pitchers like Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, winning the Cy Young as a relief pitcher is nearly impossible. 

Furthermore, barring a starting pitcher in the AL taking a big step forward, Skubal could actually see a dip in production and still be considered the favorite to win it. 

When combining Skubal’s skills with seemingly a lack of competition in the league, a repeat is certainly possible for the south paw. 

While the individual accolades will be welcomed, the left-hander wants to help get his team to the American League Championship Series and beyond in 2025.