Well, well, well, the plot thickens once again! As Major League Baseball front offices enter the Winter Meetings, Tarik Skubal has been the topic of many discussions. With rumors of the Detroit Tigers trying to trade their big lefty, questions begin to arise: where will the game’s best pitcher play? Before we get to next season, we must give Skubs his flowers, as MLB announces that he has won the American League Cy Young Award for the second consecutive season, going back-to-back for the first time since Pedro Martinez did in 1999 and 2000.
Tarik Skubal Proves He is Amongst the Best!
As much as Tarik Skubal carried the 2024 Detroit Tigers on his back into the playoffs, the 2025 team didn’t have to rely on their ace as much. With that being said, the superstar proved that the ’24 season was no fluke and that he is still the best pitcher in the American League! Though the team may have been consistently better in ’25, the guy at the front of the rotation has entered an elite status.
The Cy Young Award winner had a 13-6 record as a starter in 2025. If you’re a baseball enthusiast, you know that starting pitchers’ records don’t mean a damn thing (ask Paul Skenes). Skubal posted a 2.21 ERA, the best in the AL and second in all of baseball, behind the aforementioned Skenes. He also had the best WHIP in baseball with a 0.89.
As Shania Twain might say, “if that doesn’t impress you much,” the Tigers’ lefty was second in all of baseball with 241 Strikeouts, only behind the Boston Red Sox hurler, Garrett Crochet. He also ranked third in Opponent Batting Average, holding the opposition to the Mendoza Line of .200.
It has been twenty-five years since an American League pitcher has won back-to-back Cy Young Awards. In that time span, five National League pitchers have been able to achieve what Skubal did. Randy Johnson won four consecutive Cy Youngs between ’99 and ’02, Tim Lincecum (’08 and ’09), Clayton Kershaw (’13 and ’14), Max Scherzer (’16 and ’17), and Jacob DeGrom (’18 and ’19) all went back-to-back in the last quarter century.
Skubal’s Future in Baseball
If you have been paying attention to the baseball world, especially if you are a Detroit Tigers fan, it may make you sick to your stomach hearing about your dominant pitcher. Skubal’s future is somewhat up in the air. With one year left on his contract, under an organization with an owner who isn’t willing to spend the necessary cash, it is likely his time in Detroit is coming to an end.
The debate has begun. Does the team try to trade Tarik during the Winter Meetings, entering next season with a whole new look? Do they trade the two-time, two-time Cy Young Award winner at the trade deadline? Or do they add a few pieces to make them a serious 2026 World Series contender? Maybe the shocking result will be Scott Harris and, more importantly, Chris Illitch, forking over the money to extend their superstar.
Final Thoughts
Tarik Skubal and Pittsburgh Pirates sensation Paul Skenes are proving themselves as the best pitchers in MLB. Skubs carried the Detroit Tigers into the postseason the past two seasons. He deserves his flowers and congratulations for winning his second consecutive Cy Young. I don’t see the organization dishing out close to a half billion dollars for a guy who plays every five days. It should be an interesting twelve months for the Detroit Tigers. If we here in Detroit have witnessed Skubal’s last start for the team, we Thank You, number 29, for the memories and for competing at the highest level every time you stepped on the mound!
