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Baseball inspires many debates, but most fans are in agreement that the starting pitcher does not hold close to the same cachet as it did decades ago. There are few workhorses these days, as managers turn to their bullpen far quicker than many prefer. When people go to a game to specifically see an ace take the mound, they expect to get their money's worth. Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal made sure that happened on Sunday, posting a special performance in front of an extremely grateful Comerica Park.
The 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner threw the first complete game shutout of his career, allowing just two hits and recording 13 strikeouts in a 5-0 win versus the Cleveland Guardians. He painted this masterpiece in just 94 pitches, giving him the “Maddux,” a statistic named after Hall of Famer Greg Maddux that recognizes a starter who goes the distance and allows zero runs while tossing less than 100 pitches. Skubal's Maddux was truly unique, however.
The superb left-hander fanned Gabriel Arias with a 102.6 mph fastball for the final out of the afternoon, making amazing MLB history by unleashing the fastest pitch by a starter in the ninth inning since pitch tracking started in 2008. The home crowd showed its fervid appreciation, and Skubal returned the favor when reflecting on the magnificent outing.
“I got a little teary-eyed out there, honestly, before the inning started,” he said, per MLB.com's Jason Beck. “I just thought to myself, 12-year-old me wouldn’t believe that was an opportunity — to have a fanbase support you the way it does and be in that moment.”
Tarik Skubal and the Tigers have come a long way
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Skubal, a 2018 ninth-round draft pick, has helped rejuvenate Tigers baseball over the past two seasons. The 28-year-old seized the pitching Triple Crown last year and threw 17 scoreless innings in the playoffs before faltering against the Guardians. His rise is one of the reasons why Detroit (34-20) currently owns the AL's best record.
Yes, the lineup is loaded with talent and the rotation boasts two additional hurlers with sub-3.00 ERAs — Casey Mize and Reese Olson — but Skubal is a definite tone-setter. He inspires the utmost confidence from his teammates and the Tigers fans, for they know what the spectacular southpaw is capable of doing every fifth day.
After losing three straight games to Cleveland, Detroit needed a momentum-changer. No. 29 obliged, just as he has so many times in the last two years. This is far from the last time the Tigers will ask him to don the cape.
Tarik Skubal is now 5-2 with a 2.49 ERA and AL-leading 92 strikeouts. He will rest up and watch on while the first-place ballclub squares off with the San Francisco Giants (31-22) on Memorial Day.
