Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal has been pitching like an ace. In all of MLB, he ranks first with a 2.1 fWAR and a 1.93 FIP. Amongst American League pitchers, he is ranked second with a 1.80 ERA in nine starts.
#Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal ranks first among MLB pitchers with a 2.1 fWAR and a 1.93 FIP. He also ranks second among American League pitchers with a 1.80 ERA in nine starts. pic.twitter.com/2800296hLd
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) May 18, 2024
Tarik Skubal Continues to Impress
Tarik Skubal has all-star stats, and he led the Tigers to a 13-0 shutout against the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-0. Skubal allowed only one hit and struck out six in six scoreless innings of work. Skubal is looking like the top pitcher in MLB so far this season. He is 10-0 with a 1.48 ERA in 14 starts since last September. The fastest pitch of his career has been a 100.2 mph fastball against the Diamondbacks on Friday. In the AL league this season, Skubal is ranked second with 66 strikeouts behind Garrett Crochet, who has 70.
With how he has been pitching, he’s certainly making a strong case for the AL Cy Young Award this season. Skubal also ranks fifth in whiff percentage with 13% behind Jesús Luzardo of the Miami Marlins, who has a whiff percentage of 14. Skubal has 54 Whiffs in his last 300 pitches thrown, finding a different level of dominance than he has before. In five games started, Skubal has a 2.16 SIERA and a 1.44 ERA. SSIERA focuses on balls in play but adjusts for the type of ball in play, meaning that Tarik Skubal is doing a great job controlling what he can control on the mound..
Tarik Skubal, K'ing the Side.
That last one was only 99.9 mph. 😀 pic.twitter.com/JfVZRcXgxS
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 18, 2024
It’s hard to argue that he isn’t the best pitcher in baseball right now. Skubal lowered his ERA to 1.80 with his dominant performance against the Diamondbacks. A 0.78 WHIP in 55 innings is another impressive stat to add to his other ones this season. His insane efficiency makes him the pitcher to beat in MLB. He’s pitching with a lot of confidence and swagger. Skubal has allowed 16 earned runs in his last 15 starts, and that’s just unbelievable.
Skubal is 27 years old and made his MLB debut in 2020. The southpaw has a 2.67 ERA and 122 strikeouts in the 18 starts since he returned to the Tigers rotation last July. He is certainly one of the top starting pitchers that is consistently talked about. As a front-runner for Cy Young right now, he’s continuing to put out quality starts for the Tigers. Skubal is the best left-handed starting pitcher the Tigers have seen in the MLB system in 130 years. He could be the total package of what an ace and an All-Star should be in.
