Luis Castillo has never won a Cy Young Award; he never even got votes before coming to the Mariners, when he racked up some fifth-place votes in 2023. Tarik Skubal won his first Cy Young last season at age 27, receiving unanimous first-place votes after spearheading the Tigers’ rotation and launching Detroit into the playoffs.
Today, however, Castillo outdueled the reigning Cy Young winner—or at least outlasted him, going seven innings to Skubal’s 5.2, and leaving the Mariners with a favorable slot where they could deploy their best lefty arm, Gabe Speier, against Detroit’s lefty-heavy lineup. Opening Day starter or not, Castillo reminded everyone why he is The Rock: steady, unchanging, and a pillar of strength for this rotation.