The Detroit Tigers opened Thursday with a moment that blended dominance and swagger as ace Tarik Skubal celebrated his second straight AL Cy Young Award. The Tigers star enters the offseason as one of the league’s premier arms, and Wednesday’s announcement by the BBWAA highlighted another massive step for the organization. The 28-year-old southpaw secured his second straight Cy Young award following another dominant season, finishing with a 13-6 record, a 2.21 ERA, and 241 strikeouts across 31 starts in 2025. The reaction gained traction as he took to social media to celebrate the moment.
The back-to-back AL Cy Young recipient took to his Instagram account Thursday, posting shortly after the award became official Wednesday night. The Tigers ace paired a dramatic on-field photo with a brief, definitive message that required no further explanation.
“b2b”
The Instagram post instantly drew attention from fans and added to the moment’s impact. Skubal delivered another elite campaign in 2025, reinforcing his place among the most dominant pitchers in the game. His consecutive Cy Young wins placed him alongside some of the most accomplished arms in league history. He became the first AL pitcher since Pedro Martinez to secure back-to-back awards and joined Denny McLain as the only pitchers in Tigers franchise history to win multiple Cy Youngs. The club relied heavily on the left-handed flamethrower throughout the season, and his consistency anchored a young rotation.
Skubal celebrated his award as conversations about his contract future continued to grow across the fanbase. Comments quickly filled his Instagram post, with supporters openly urging Detroit to keep him long-term, a reflection of his rising importance to the franchise. That push only intensified given his two-year run of dominance, as Skubal has posted a 31-10 record with a 2.30 ERA and 469 strikeouts in 62 appearances since the start of 2024. The Instagram post served as both a celebration and a reminder of what he represents for Detroit. For the Tigers, his combination of elite production and quiet swagger remains a central piece of their identity heading into the 2026 campaign.
