Detroit Tigers Star Ace Throws Another Sensational Spring Training Outing
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The Detroit Tigers are still a few weeks away from the start of the season, but that wouldn't be known by looking at the performances of their superstar ace.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal has picked up right where he left off from last year's dominating and historic campaign, looking extremely sharp through the first two outings of spring training.
On Monday afternoon, Skubal led the Tigers onto the field for their tilt against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Grapefruit League, and for the second time, he carved up his opponent.
The Blue Jays deployed a number of their heavy hitters including Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Anthony Santander, George Springer, Andrés Giménez and Alejandro Kirk.
Skubal was not fazed.
Finishing his outing with three innings pitched and just one hit allowed, he did not give up a run once again and struck out three batters.
Of his 37 pitches, 25 went for strikes, one of which being so nasty it quite literally brought Bichette to his knees.
this Tarik Skubal guy is pretty good
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) March 3, 2025
3 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 0 BB | 3 K pic.twitter.com/QcjwHdxuhk
For the spring, Skubal's stat line now shows a perfect 0.00 ERA in five innings over two appearances with four strikeouts and a WHIP of just 0.400.
Detroit will be under the microscope straight out of the gate on Opening Day, taking on the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on March 27.
The Dodgers will have numerous options for who to pit on the bump against Skubal, however, it's safe to say it's going to be marquee pitching duel in Los Angeles.
Skubal has passed all the tests with flying colors thus far in terms of being able to build upon his unanimous AL Cy Young season, but he will get an early reality check in terms of where he is truly at by facing the most dangerous lineup in all of baseball.
Never one to shy away from the moment, Skubal will likely relish the opportunity to begin the season with such a tough test and perform on a major stage.
If the Tigers are going to take the kind of steps they want to take this season and go from a fun underdog story to legitimate contender in the American League, having their ace at his best is going to be critical.
If spring training is any real indication, the big lefty is exactly where he needs to be right now in order to make that happen.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.