The Detroit Tigers' left-handed ace is the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, having won it unanimously in 2024 and again in 2025 with a 2.21 ERA and 241 strikeouts. Skubal is on the verge of making history this year, which could be his last in Detroit before free agency changes everything.
He is not only the best pitcher in baseball right now, but he might also be putting together one of the most important three-year runs in baseball history. As Skubal's 2026 season gets underway, here are two bold predictions for him that, if they come true, would make him one of the greatest players of all time.
Tarik Skubal Will Win a Historic Third Consecutive AL Cy Young Award
Before we talk about what Skubal could do in 2026, let's put this in context. There have only been two pitchers in Major League Baseball history who have won three or more Cy Young Awards in a row. From 1992 to 1995, Greg Maddux won four in a row. From 1999 to 2002, Randy Johnson won four in a row. That's the whole list. In the 70 years that the Cy Young Award has been given out, no one has ever done this. The bold prediction here is that Tarik Skubal will become the third pitcher to do it, and the first pitcher from the American League to do it.
Skubal won the Cy Young Award for the second year in a row, making him the first pitcher to do so since Jacob deGrom did it with the New York Mets in 2018 and 2019. He was also the first AL pitcher to do so since Pedro Martinez did it with the Boston Red Sox in 1999 and 2000. Skubal didn't just win in each of the two years he won an award, he dominated.
After winning the AL pitching Triple Crown with an 18-4 record, a 2.39 ERA, and 228 strikeouts, he was the clear choice in 2024. In 2025, he was even better, with a career-best 2.21 ERA and leading the AL in ERA, WHIP (0.89), strikeout rate (32.2%), walk rate (4.4%), and WAR (6.5). His back-to-back wins have been so complete that there isn't much room for debate on the ballot. There's no reason to think that 2026 will be any different.
Tarik Skubal Will Lead the Majors in Strikeouts With 275+, Shattering His Personal Best
In 2026, Tarik Skubal will break his own record for most strikeouts, which he set last season with 241. He will do it in a big way, with 275 or more strikeouts, which will make him the best in all of MLB.
Skubal had the most strikeouts in the majors in 2024, with 228 in 192 innings. In 2025, he struck out the most batters in his career, 241 in 195.1 innings, or 11.10 strikeouts per nine innings. He had the second most strikeouts overall, behind Garrett Crochet. It's clear that Skubal sets a new personal best every time he pitches a full season. He is getting better, not worse. Everything about him, his strikeout rate, walk rate, command, and pitch arsenal, suggests that he will have an even better 2026 season.
Tarik Skubal showing off his eye for the Strike Zone. 👀 pic.twitter.com/S0PgoTL45W
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 14, 2026
So what happens to 275? There are two things that matter, innings and chances. Skubal has started 31 games in a row, but his total innings pitched, 192 in 2024 and 195.1 in 2025, have stayed just below the 200-inning mark that would fully unlock his strikeout potential. Brent Maguire, an analyst for MLB.com, has already predicted that Skubal will strike out 300 batters in 2026. He says this is because the Tigers are likely to use him more in games this year.
Even the more conservative estimate of 275-plus strikeouts would be a huge jump, but 300 strikeouts would be one of the most amazing statistical feats in modern baseball history. Skubal's strikeout rate is 11.10 K/9, so pitching just 5–7 more innings a month, by going six or more innings in more starts or getting an extra start or two, would push him well past the 250 mark and into truly historic territory.
The 275-strikeout prediction isn't just a pipe dream, it's what would happen if a pitcher were at the top of his game, pitching in a contract year, and had the best supporting rotation he's ever had. A 32-year-old (he turns 30 during the 2026 season) pitcher with elite mechanics, arguably the deepest pitch arsenal in the AL, and the kind of burning motivation that only a historic, life-defining free agent contract can give you makes for a season that changes what we think is possible in 2026 baseball.
Tarik Skubal is about to do something that no MLB pitcher has ever done: win three straight Cy Young Awards in the American League and lead the majors in strikeouts. This is one of the best pitching seasons in the modern era. This is his year and his stage, and every at-bat in 2026 will make that point louder and clearer. Pay close attention, you are watching history happen right now.
