Tarik Skubal

Tarik Daniel Skubal

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 215 lb.
• School Seattle University
• High School Kingman Academy
• Debut August 18, 2020

• Born November 20, 1996 in Hayward, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Tarik Skubal was rafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 9th round of the 2018 amateur draft, out of Seattle University, one year after having been taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 29th round of the 2017 amateur draft. He reached the majors quickly, making his debut during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, going 1-4, 5.63 in 8 games, including 7 starts. He then spent all of 2021 with Detroit, going 8-12, 4.34 in 31 games. He led the team in wins and finished just one inning behind Casey Mize with 149 1/3.

Skubal missed time over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, making 21 and 15 starts respectively, but when he was able to pitch he was very good, going 7-8, 3.52 the first year and 7-3, 2.80 the second. He was the American League Pitcher of the Month in September of 2023 when he put up an ERA of 0.90 with 43 Ks in 30 innings that month to win the first significant award of his career. After finishing the year on such a strong note, he was often mentioned as a candidate for a break-out season in 2024, and he did not disappoint in April, as he went 4-0, 1.72 in six starts after being Detroit's Opening Day starter on March 28th. He defeated the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, that day, and went from strength to strength, finishing the month with a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on April 28th. This left little doubt that he was now the Tigers' ace and one of the top starting pitchers in the majors. He went 10-3, 2.41 in 19 first-half starts to earn a spot on the All-Star team, but as he entered the second half of the season, rumors were swirling around his name as he was likely to most accomplished pitcher that could potentially be snapped up by a contender in a trading deadline deal. His first start after the break was in line with his season thus far, as he gave up just 1 run in 7 innings against the Cleveland Guardians on July 22nd to earn an 8-2 win. He won his 15th game of the year on August 24th by defeating the Chicago White Sox, 13-4, making him the first pitcher in the majors to reach the mark. On August 31st, he set another mark, becoming the first pitcher in the majors to record 200 strikeouts; in that game, a 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox, he pitched into the 8th inning for the first time of his career and recorded 8 Ks in as many frames to give him 201 for the season. He was leading the American League in all three Triple Crown categories with one month to go. He ended up accomplishing the feat finishing first in the AL in wins (18), strikeout (228) and ERA (2.39). he was the first pitcher to accomplish the feat since Shane Bieber had done so in the shortened 2020 season, and the first to do so in a full season since Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw had done so in both leagues in 2011. He also led the AL in winning percentage (.818), finishing at 18-4 in 31 starts and 192 innings.

Skubal was outstanding in his first two postseason starts. In Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros on October 1st, he pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits, and received credit for a 3-1 win. On October 7th, he started Game 2 of the Division Series, again on the road, after the Tigers had lost Game 1 to the Cleveland Guardians. He turned in another masterful performance, with seven scoreless innings this time, allowing just 3 hits and no walks while striking out eight. the game was still scoreless when he left, but a dramatic three-run homer by Kerry Carpenter in the top of the 9th gave them a 3-0 win, evening the series. His next start was another big one, as he was starting for the Tigers in the decisive Game 5 of the series, on October 12th. He lasted 6 innings but gave up 5 runs and was charged with the 7-3 loss that eliminated Detroit from further contention. Following the season he was named the winner of the 2024 American League Cy Young Award by unanimous vote. The announcement came on his 28th birthday.

Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (2024)
• AL Cy Young Award (2024)
• 2024 AL Pitcher's Triple Crown
• AL ERA Leader (2024)
• AL Wins Leader (2024)
• AL Winning Percentage Leader (2024)
• AL Strikeouts Leader (2024)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (2024)
• 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 1 (2024)

AL Cy Young Award
2023	2024	2025
Gerrit Cole	Tarik Skubal	tbd

Further Reading

• David Adler: "How Skubal learned one of baseball's nastiest pitches", mlb.com, April 16, 2024. [1]
• Jason Beck: "Skubal proves he's 'one of the best' after another gem: Tigers lefty is 8-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last 11 starts after seven innings of one-run ball", mlb.com, April 28, 2024. [2]
• Jason Beck: "Amidst trade rumors, Skubal continues to strengthen Cy Young case", mlb.com, July 22, 2024. [3]
• Jason Beck: "Tarik the terrific! Skubal 1st to 200 K's in career-best 8-inning gem", mlb.com, August 31, 2024. [4]
• Jason Beck: "Clemente nominee Skubal proud to offer aid to at-risk women", mlb.com, September 17, 2024. [5]
• Jason Beck: "Tigers' ALCS hopes rest on fiery Skubal: 'He's built for the competition'", mlb.com, October 11, 2024. [6]
• Jason Beck: "Skubal wins AL Cy Young unanimously after Triple Crown campaign", mlb.com, November 20, 2024. [7]
• Kennedi Landry: "'It was just ... raw emotion': Skubal dominates Guardians in G2; Hinch: 'This is what October is built for. He's built for October, too'", mlb.com, October 7, 2024. [8]
• Sarah Langs: "Cy puts Skubal in exclusive group: The Birthday Award Club", mlb.com, November 20, 2024. [9]
• Brent Maguire: "Triple Crown! Skubal paces AL in wins, K's and ERA: Tigers' ace is 1st to lead league in all 3 categories in full season since 2011", mlb.com, September 29, 2024. [10]
• Mike Petriello: "This might be the pitcher to watch in 2024: Detroit lefty had 43 strikeouts, just four walks in final month", mlb.com, January 13, 2024. [11]

Related Sites

• Tarik Skubal on mlb.com