Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal isn’t just chasing the American League Cy Young, he’s positioning himself for something even more historic. The Tigers, now the best team in baseball, owe much of that success to their left-handed pitcher. Tarik Skubal has quietly entered the AL MVP conversation, a rare accomplishment for any pitcher in today’s game. He owns a 10–3 record, a 2.19 ERA, and 132 strikeouts over 115.1 innings, blending precision with raw power. Opponents are batting just .193 against him. He leads the AL in WHIP at 0.93. He also ranks among the top three in WAR across all players. Skubal has gone at least six innings in 15 of his 17 starts.
Hitters now grind at-bats. Front offices obsess over pitch counts. In that environment, Skubal’s blend of efficiency and dominance stands out. He doesn't just survive deep into games, he controls them.
“Part of my process is that I'm 100 percent bought-in on executing every pitch,” Skubal quipped. “I expect each one to go where I want it to. I don't let any negative thought enter my mind.”
Skubal admits he misses his target often, around 80% of the time by his own estimate, but that self-awareness may be part of what makes him so dangerous. “I'm not trying to be perfect,” he added. “The game's best do it a little less than me.”
If Tarik Skubal were to edge out sluggers like Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, he’d become just the fourth full-time starting pitcher since 1986 to win MVP, joining Dennis Eckersley (1992), Justin Verlander (2011) and Clayton Kershaw (2014).
Calling the Cy Young “the highest award a pitcher can win,” Tarik Skubal remains focused on what’s in front of him and the Tigers. But if his first-half performance continues into September, he won’t just be in line for the league’s top pitching honor, he may force voters to rethink what dominance really looks like.
Tarik Skubal will also have a chance to showcase that dominance at the MLB All-Star Game in Truist Park. For him, the midsummer classic isn’t just a personal milestone. It’s a spotlight moment in a season that could reshape how voters view pitcher value in the MVP race.