Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal has what it takes to win Cy Young Award in 2024

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 2/27/24

Tarik Skubal has everything you're looking for in a left-handed ace.

Heading into his fifth MLB season — which really feels like his fourth since he pitched in only 15 games in 2023 after undergoing flexor-tendon surgery in August 2022 — Skubal is a bona fide ace ready to blossom right before our very eyes.

He's has four strong pitches (fastball, slider, curveball, changeup) and stands at an imposing 6-foot-3, 240 pounds. He boasts a career average of 3.87 ERA as a starter with a career WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) of just 1.15. Although he only played the second half of the season in 2023 and was clearly on a pitch count, his ERA at the end of 80.1 innings pitched was 2.80 and his WHIP fell down to 0.90.

Skubal was clearly trending upward as he got closer to full strength, and so far in spring training, it sounds like he's already been able to dial it up.

Tarik Skubal hit 100 mph on his last pitch of live BP today. Woof
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) February 20, 2024

It also sounds like the hype around Skubal is building with every pitch he's thrown down in Lakeland, Florida. He'd already be great as a "Comeback Player of the Year" candidate if he can put it all together in 2024, but there's been some real buzz about a Cy Young Award as well.

At the very least, new Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty believes Skubal will be among the contenders this season in the American League.

Tarik Skubal has been mentioned as a preseason AL Cy Young candidate.

When I mentioned that to @jflare_ in @Tigers camp, he said:

“I don’t see why not. You see the stuff he’s got, the way he threw last year . . . It’s going to be fun to see what he can do.”@BallySportsDET
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) February 25, 2024

Flaherty is right; it will be fun to see what Skubal can do in 2024. If he stays healthy, he could easily be one of the best pitchers in MLB — let alone in the AL.

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