Tigers Ace Favored to Match Feat Last Done by Red Sox Legend Pedro Martinez
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The Detroit Tigers saw their first AL Cy Young winner since 2013 last year when Tarik Skubal became the unanimous choice, and he might just do it again.
MLB.com recently released their first Cy Young poll and Skubal finished first-place for the AL with 19 first-place votes.
He's taken a step back this season and is still favored to win the award, which just goes to show how dominant he was in 2024.
Tarik Skubal Could Do Something Not Seen In Over Two Decades
The last pitcher to go back-to-back with the AL Cy Young was Boston Red Sox ace, and first ballot Hall of Famer, Pedro Martinez in 1999 and 2000. Roger Clemens did it the two years before with the Toronto Blue Jays.
He would also join Tigers legend Denny McClain, who claimed back-to-back AL Cy Youngs in 1968 and 1969.
Players like Justin Verlander and Johan Santana have done it twice in that span, but not in back-to-back years. That is fantastic company for Skubal to be in.
If he keeps this pace up, the Tigers ace will play himself into the Hall of Fame when he decides to hang up the glove.
That would mean Detroit having three Hall of Fame starts beginning their careers with the team in the last 20 years. That is something to hang their hats on.
Competition will be fierce for Skubal to repeat, though. New York Yankees ace Max Fried was the only player to really get close to him in voting with 13 first-place votes.
Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet and Houston Astros breakout star Hunter Brown have also made fantastic cases to this point.
It is still not shocking to see Skubal atop the voting as he has continued to be a well-rounded force on the mound.
The 28-year-old has a 2.08 ERA over eight starts with a 0.881 WHIP and 11.3 K/9. His ERA+ is at 189, which is actually higher than where he finished last season.
Skubal has struck out 60 batters while walking just five in 47.2 innings of work. That is the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the Majors.
He doesn't hold the lead in any of the Triple Crown categories that he won last season, but is eighth in ERA, tied for second in wins and fourth in strikeouts. It's hard to come up with any real complaints about his season.
With the Tigers looking like a well-oiled machine with a balanced attack for the first time in a while, having a player like Skubal locking down the rotation has paid off handsomely.
Detroit should do everything in their power to keep him their uniform past when his team control runs out after next season. It is going to cost them a pretty penny, though.
