A ninth-round draft choice from Seattle University in 2018, Tarik Skubal has helped the Detroit Tigers to a winning record this season (18-16). Skubal’s development has been a triumph for a club trying to build around pitching. In Skubal’s rookie season, he finished with an ERA starting at 5. The next season, it was at 4, then a 3, then a 2, and now a 1. Skubal brings an edge on the mound for the Tigers. He ranks fourth with a .162 opponents batting average and fifth with a 1.72 ERA. In his recent start against the New York Yankees, Skubal recorded a career-high in strikeouts. However, he became the first Tigers pitcher in over 100 years to record an even more intriguing stat.
Tarik Skubal Records 12+ K and 0 BB
Skubal set a career-high with 12 strikeouts and became the first Tiger in this decade to fan 12 without a walk. He’s the youngest Tigers pitcher to record 12 or more strikeouts in a game since Max Scherzer had 14 on May 30, 2010. Now, Skubal’s also the first Tigers pitcher with a start of 12+ strikeouts and zero walks to register a no-decision since Eric Erickson on May 24, 1918. Erickson pitched a 16-inning complete game but earned a no-decision due to darkness, ending the game in a 2-2 tie.
Tarik Skubal is the first Tigers pitchers with a start of 12+ K and 0 BB to register a no-decision since Eric Erickson in May 24, 1918.
Erickson pitched a 16-inning complete game and received a no-decision because the game was called due to darkness and ended in a 2-2 tie.
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) May 6, 2024
Seven of Skubal’s Strikeouts Were Produced by His Changeup
His changeup recorded 12 whiffs on 17 swings from the Yankees. Skubal was in control with that offspeed pitch. He threw 32 changeups (33%), 28 sinkers (29.2%), 21 four-seam fastballs (21.9%), 12 sliders (12.5%), and three curveballs (3.1%). He generated 18 whiffs on 45 swings- a 40 percent whiff rate- with 12 changeups, three sinkers and three fastballs.
The Tigers Have Their Ace
Skubal won American League Pitch of the Month last September. In his final five starts, he went 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA. He nearly matched that with a 4-0 record, 1.72 ERA, 41 strikeouts and six walks over 36 2/3 innings through six starts in April, he’s become the unsung ace of the rotation.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game,” said Aaron Judge. “A guy like that that’s got plus-velocity, plus-plus stuff, plus feel for all his stuff, can throw any pitch at any time. It’s just about trying to get a pitcher over the heart of the plate, you can do damage on.”
Skubal is 4-0 with a 1.90 ERA and an AL-best 0.77 WHIP. His 53 strikeouts are tied for the AL Lead with Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox. He might have been a dark horse pick for the Cy Young Award to start the season, but now he’s become a must-watch pitcher, even if he isn’t a household name.
Main Photo: © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
