On Wednesday night, Detroit Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal became the fifth man in franchise history to take home the American League Cy Young award. A remarkable six-year evolution from the former ninth rounder reached a peak during his masterful 2024 campaign. The lefty had everything working all season long. We saw power and precision balanced against the finesse of a truly diabolical changeup. Mound presence? Competitive edge? Leadership and charisma? All boxes checked. A unanimous ballot of first place votes was just the final validation of Skubal’s excellence.
After congratulations were expressed and highlights and interviews digested, thoughts quickly returned to Skubal’s long-term future with the Tigers.