The Detroit Tigers have been near the top of the American League throughout the Major League Baseball season. A major reason for that is the second straight excellent season from Tarik Skubal. The Tigers' ace won the AL Cy Young award last season and is the favorite to repeat. While Boston Red Sox All-Star Garrett Crochet put up a good fight, he did not do enough to win the award.

Skubal suffered an oblique injury that knocked him out of his last start. Even if that was his final outing of the season, the All-Star starter has the AL Cy Young all but won. Tigers manager AJ Hinch has had nothing but good things to say about his ace all season. The former Houston Astros skipper knows elite pitching when he sees it, but Skubal is in a class of his own.

The competition for the AL Cy Young has been a two-man race for a while. Crochet put together another strong start against the New York Yankees to bolster his case. In almost any other season, he would likely be the favorite to win the award himself. However, he got caught in the same season as Skubal.

Ironically, Crochet and Skubal might get to settle things in the postseason. Both the Red Sox and Tigers are favored to make it into the AL playoff picture, setting up a potential series between the two All-Stars. While the Cy Young voting will be done by that point, it could give the loser extra motivation to prove that he is the best pitcher in the AL.

Skubal has a chance to be the first pitcher since Pedro Martinez to win back-to-back AL Cy Young awards. Here is why he deserves the distinction over Crochet.

Skubal's raw numbers give him an edge over Crochet

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts after he gets a strike out to end the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park.
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Looking at the numbers, the competition between Skubal and Crochet is very close. The biggest gap is in their ERA's, where the Tigers pitcher sits at 2.26 while the Red Sox's ace is at 2.63. Crochet has more strikeouts and innings pitched, but Skubal's outlandish efficiency is what gives him the advantage. Picking between both stars requires splitting hairs on almost every detail.

Voters have a lot to look at when making their decision. On one hand, Crochet's team needed him to be dominant in order to stay competitive. On the other, Skubal has been making history in Detroit all season long, leading the team's charge to the top of the standings. At the end of the day, the Tigers' pitcher has been the more valuable player for his team by a very slight margin.

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In a race as tight as this one, team success will play a role in the decision. Paul Skenes will win the Cy Young in the NL simply because he has been leagues better than his competition. In the AL, though, Crochet will drop out of contention if the Red Sox miss the postseason. However, Detroit is just a few wins away from securing their spot in the postseason.

Skubal has done more with less this season

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the fifth inning at Comerica Park.
Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

While Crochet cannot control how good his offense is compared to Skubal's, that may end up playing a role in the Cy Young conversation. The Red Sox rank in the top ten of the league in runs scored, hits, and RBIs heading into Wednesday's games. Compared to Boston, Detroit's offensive is far more average, giving Crochet more help in any given start, explaining his record.

While the Tigers have had their moments at the plate, Skubal is under much more pressure every time he takes the mound. Detroit has had multiple starting pitchers miss time with injuries while its ace has yet to miss a start. That kind of availability combined with how effective he is in each outing has netted the Tigers multiple wins that they otherwise would not have.

Crochet and Skubal are both deserving of the Cy Young. However, the competition between them both has a clear leader. Detroit's leader has matched MLB legends in the record books while leading his team to dominance. At the end of the day, the award is about the best pitcher in his league, the one most valuable to his team. This season, that is Skubal in the AL, easily.

Crochet and Skubal each have one more start to make their case. The Red Sox's All-Star needs a historically bad performance from his competition to surpass him. Unfortunately, Skubal seems incapable of having a poor start, paving the way to his second straight AL Cy Young.