By Mmesoma 
DETROIT, July 7, 2025 — A season after securing the American League Cy Young Award in 2024, Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is firmly on track to repeat the feat — and then some. With stats that rival the best in baseball, his dominance is turning heads across the league.
🔥 Season Snapshot
Record & ERA: Skubal owns a stellar 10–2 record and a 2.02 ERA through 18 starts, ranking among AL leaders .
Strikeouts & Command: He’s recorded 148 K against just 14 walks in 116 innings — a 10.6 K/BB ratio — maintaining an aggressive yet precise approach .
Analytics Edge: Leading baseball with a 1.86 FIP and topping MLB in strikeout-per-nine, quality starts, and walks per nine innings .
⭐ Elite Performances
July 6 vs. Cleveland: Skubal dazzled with seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and recording 10 Ks in a 7‑2 extra‑innings win .
Memorable Stretch: Late June also saw him blow past Minnesota, delivering 7 no-run innings with 13 strikeouts — becoming the first Tigers lefty ever to log double-digit Ks with ≤1 hit in a game .
🛠️ Growth from Last Year
Tracker metrics reveal notable progression in Skubal’s arsenal: increased velocity, heavy reliance on a deceptive changeup (now used 32% of the time), fewer walks, and a 33.8% strikeout rate (up from 30.3% in 2024) . These improvements position him among historic lefty arms — Koufax, Randy Johnson, Kershaw .
🏆 Cy Young Race Watch
Betting Outlook: Skubal is the heavy favorite for the AL Cy Young, with odds around –330 (FOX Sports) to –250 (JustBaseball) .
Expert Polls: He tops MLB.com’s and ESPN’s mid-season ballots, ahead of contenders like Max Fried, Hunter Brown, Garrett Crochet, and Jacob deGrom .
⚾ Team Impact & Bigger Picture
The Tigers lead the AL Central by 11.5 games (53–32) thanks in large part to Skubal’s brilliance . Additionally, he’s been named to the All-Star rotation — the only Tigers pitcher selected — reinforcing his status as Detroit’s ace .
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🎯 Outlook
If this pace continues, Skubal isn’t just chasing a second Cy Young — he’s heading for back-to-back awards. He’s among a rare group of two‑peat lefties, and Detroit hopes his dominance seals a return to playoff relevance for the first time since 2014.