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Tarik Skubal

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Tarik Skubal
Skubal with the Detroit Tigers in 2024
Detroit Tigers – No. 29
Pitcher
Born: (1996-11-20) November 20, 1996 (age 28)
Hayward, California, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
MLB debut
August 18, 2020, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Win–loss record41–31
Earned run average3.37
Strikeouts648
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Tarik Daniel Skubal (born November 20, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Tigers selected Skubal in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB draft and he made his MLB debut with the team in 2020. In 2024, he was named an All-Star and became the first American League pitcher to win the Cy Young Award and Triple Crown in a full season since 2011.

Amateur career

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Skubal attended Kingman Academy of Learning in Kingman, Arizona. He played college baseball for the Seattle Redhawks of Seattle University, which was the only NCAA Division I school to offer him a scholarship.[1] Skubal missed most of the 2016 season and all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Despite the injury, he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 29th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign, opting instead to return to Seattle.[2] Skubal had a combined 21–7 record as a starter for the Redhawks.[3] In 2018, he led the team with 106 strikeouts and 56 walks, pitching 80 innings in his final season in Seattle.[4]

Professional career

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Early career

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The Detroit Tigers selected Skubal in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB draft,[5][6] and he signed with the team with a $350,000 signing bonus.[7] After the draft, Skubal spent his first professional season with the Gulf Coast Tigers, Connecticut Tigers, and West Michigan Whitecaps, pitching to a combined 3–0 record and 0.40 ERA in 22+1⁄3 innings pitched.[8] He started 2019 with the Lakeland Flying Tigers.[9] He would impress throughout the season and earn a call-up to the Erie SeaWolves on July 5. Over his first three starts with Erie, he had a 0.56 ERA with 34 strikeouts, giving up five hits in 16 innings. His performances over the season raised his ranking in MLB.com's 2019 Prospect Watch from a preseason #20 ranking in the Tigers' organization to a #4 spot at the midseason update on July 27.[10] He finished the season at Double-A Erie with a 2–3 record, 2.13 ERA, 1.02 WHIP. Opponents hit just .168 off him. Overall in 2019, in High-A and Double-A, Skubal struck out 179 batters in 122+2⁄3 innings.

The Tigers invited Skubal to spring training in 2020.[11] On August 18, Skubal was recalled from the Tigers' satellite training facility in Toledo, and he made his MLB debut later that day.[12][13] On August 29, Skubal earned his first major league win, besting the Minnesota Twins. In five innings pitched, Skubal allowed two earned runs and three hits while striking out two and walking none in the Tigers' 4–2 win.[14] With the 2020 Detroit Tigers, Skubal appeared in 8 games, compiling a 1–4 record with 5.63 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched.[15] His cutter, which averaged 95.4 mph (153.5 km/h), was the fastest cutter of any major league pitcher in 2020.[16]

2021

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On March 24, 2021, new Tigers manager A. J. Hinch announced that Skubal had made the Opening Day roster out of spring training and would be in the Tigers' starting rotation.[17] On July 3, Skubal recorded his 100th strikeout of the season, becoming the first Tiger rookie ever to strike out at least 100 batters before the All-Star break.[18] On August 25, against the St. Louis Cardinals, Skubal recorded strikeouts for the first six outs of the game, finishing with ten strikeouts in five innings of work.[19] On September 25, Skubal reached 200 career strikeouts in his first 38 appearances, the fewest number of games in Tigers history that a pitcher needed to reach that milestone. Overall in 2021, Skubal pitched in 31 games, starting all but two of them, posting an 8–12 record and 4.34 ERA while striking out 164 batters in 149+1⁄3 innings.[15]

2022

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Skubal continued to pitch in the Tigers starting rotation in 2022. After posting a 7–8 record with a 3.52 ERA, 111 ERA+, 1.16 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 117+2⁄3 innings, he was placed on the injured list on August 3 with fatigue in his pitching arm. On August 17, the Tigers announced Skubal had undergone flexor tendon surgery, definitively ending his 2022 season and likely sidelining him for the beginning of 2023.[20]

2023

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On March 14, 2023, the Tigers moved Skubal to the 60-day injured list, stating that he wasn't expected back on the mound until summer.[21] He was activated for his season debut on July 4.[22] He was named American League Pitcher of the Month in September, finishing his final five starts with a 4–0 record and 0.90 ERA.[23] In 2023, he pitched 80+1⁄3 innings over 15 starts, posting a 7–3 record with a 2.80 ERA and 102 strikeouts.[24] He ranked in the top 4 percent of MLB pitchers in 2023 at earning strikeouts and limiting walks and his expected ERA was in the top 1 percent of pitchers.[25]

2024: Triple Crown and Cy Young Award

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Skubal started for the Tigers on Opening Day of the 2024 season.[26][27] On April 28, Skubal became the first pitcher in Tigers franchise history to strike out 40+ batters through his first six starts with fewer than nine walks (he had 41 strikouts and only six walks to date).[23] In a May 5 game against the New York Yankees, Skubal became the first Tigers pitcher in over 100 years to strike out 12 or more batters without issuing a walk. The last Tiger pitcher to do so was Eric Erickson (in a 16-inning complete game) on May 24, 1918.[28]

On July 7, Skubal was selected to represent the Tigers in the 2024 All-Star Game being held July 16, along with teammate Riley Greene. At the time of his selection, Skubal had a 10–3 record, 2.37 ERA, a league-best 0.90 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 110 innings.[29] He pitched a 1-2-3 second inning in the All-Star Game.[30]

Skubal finished the season with 18 wins (18–4 record), a 2.39 ERA and 228 strikeouts, and became the first pitcher to win the Triple Crown since Shane Bieber in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. He and fellow Cy Young awardee Chris Sale were the first pitchers to earn the Triple Crown in a full season since 2011, when both Justin Verlander (AL) and Clayton Kershaw (NL) earned the distinction.[31][32]

After the season, Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award for the first time in his career.[33] Additionally, with his Triple Crown campaign, he won the Cy Young Award unanimously, earning all 30 first-place votes.[34]

Pitch selection

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Skubal throws both four-seam and sinking two-seam fastballs, each averaging around 97 miles per hour, with his four-seam fastball having reached as fast as 102 MPH. His off-speed pitches include a slider that typically lands between 87 to 91 mph, however, he will occasionally ramp it up to a ‘turbo’ slider, which can reach 96 mph. Since 2023, his best and most used off-speed pitch is a changeup that averages 86.3 mph with an elite seam-shifted wake. The changeup has accounted for the lowest contact rate (55.3%) and highest outside-the-strike-zone swing rate (39.6%) of all his pitches. He’ll also occasionally throw a curveball with a knuckle-curve grip that averages 78.5 mph.[35]

Personal life

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Skubal's parents, Russ and Laura, live in Kingman, Arizona. His father is a teacher and coach.[36] Skubal has three biological brothers—Tyler, Trevor, and Trent—and one step-brother, Will.[37]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ Stavenhagen, Cody (February 20, 2020). "The rise of Tarik Skubal". The Athletic. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  2. ^ Bearden, Beau (April 24, 2024). "Life throws Skubal a curveball, but Academy grad makes the best of it". Kingman Daily Miner. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "Tarik Skubal - Baseball Stats - The Baseball Cube". TheBaseballCube.com. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  4. ^ "2018 Seattle Redhawks - The Baseball Cube". TheBaseballCube.com. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  5. ^ Bearden, Beau (April 24, 2024). "Kingman Academy grad Skubal drafted in ninth round of MLB Draft". Kingman Daily Miner. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Bearden, Beau (April 24, 2024). "Skubal taking the next step in his baseball journey". Kingman Daily Miner. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "Tarik Skubal - Stats - Pitching". FanGraphs Baseball. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  8. ^ Eddy, Dave (February 13, 2019). "5 Prospects Who Should Have Made the Detroit Tigers Top 50". Prospects1500.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Seidel, Jeff (May 7, 2019). "Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal could be the steal of 2018 draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  10. ^ "MLB.com 2019 Prospect Watch". Major League Baseball. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  11. ^ Woodbery, Evan (February 21, 2020). "Tigers' Tarik Skubal makes it look so easy in spring debut". mlive. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Beck, Jason (August 17, 2020). "Tigers call up top prospects Mize, Skubal". MLB.com. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  13. ^ Beck, Jason (August 18, 2020). "'He just hits': Paredes impresses in debut". MLB.com. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  14. ^ Beck, Jason (August 29, 2020). "Something old, new lead Tigers in DH sweep". MLB.com. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Tarik Skubal Stats, Fantasy & News | Detroit Tigers". MLB.com.
  16. ^ Pitch Arsenals Leaderboard, baseballsavant.mlb.com
  17. ^ Petzold, Evan (March 24, 2021). "Julio Teheran, Tarik Skubal make Detroit Tigers' Opening Day roster as starters". freep.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  18. ^ Day, Brandon (July 8, 2021). "Detroit at Minnesota preview: Hot Tigers look to carry momentum into the All-Star break". blessyouboys.com. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  19. ^ McCosky, Chris (August 25, 2021). "Tarik Skubal shines, but Cardinals clip Tigers in 10 innings". The Detroit News. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  20. ^ Snyder, Matt (August 17, 2022). "Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal undergoes flexor tendon surgery, could miss large portion of 2023 season". CBSsports.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  21. ^ Woodbery, Evan (March 14, 2023). "Tigers claim pitcher off waivers from Cardinals; Tarik Skubal goes to 60-day IL". MLive.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  22. ^ "Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Activated for season debut". CBSSports.com. July 4, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Beck, Jason (April 28, 2024). "Skubal proves he's 'one of the best' after another gem". mlb.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  24. ^ "Tarik Skubal 2023 Pitching Game Logs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  25. ^ "Tarik Skubal Stats: Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics". baseballsavant.com. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  26. ^ Petzold, Evan. "Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal hopes to 'get used to' big crowds at home in unexpected start". Detroit Free Press.
  27. ^ Beck, Jason (March 29, 2024). "Tarik Skubal logs six scoreless frames in Tigers' Opening Day win over White Sox". MLB.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  28. ^ Graves, Matt (May 6, 2024). "Tigers Breakout Pitcher Makes Franchise History Against The Yankees". lastwordonsports.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  29. ^ McCoskey, Chris (July 7, 2024). "Tigers' Riley Greene, Tarik Skubal selected to play in MLB's All-Star Game". Detroit News. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  30. ^ "NL All-Stars vs. AL All-Stars - Final Box". mlb.com. July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  31. ^ Maguire, Brent (September 29, 2024). "Triple Crown! Skubal paces AL in wins, K's and ERA". MLB.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  32. ^ Paul, Tony (September 29, 2024). "'Glad he's on our team': Tigers' Tarik Skubal wraps up AL Triple Crown in pitching". The Detroit News. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  33. ^ "Tarik Skubal Wins American League Cy Young Award". MLB Trade Rumors. November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  34. ^ Beck, Jason (November 20, 2024). "Skubal wins AL Cy Young unanimously after Triple Crown campaign". MLB.com. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  35. ^ "Tarik Skubal PitchFX at fangraphs.com". fangraphs.com. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  36. ^ Henning, Lynn (March 5, 2020). "Among Tigers' batch of budding stars, Tarik Skubal could end up shining brightest". DetroitNews.com. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  37. ^ Seidel, Jeff (April 21, 2020). "Why is Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal so competitive? Dad knows". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
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