Tarik Skubal didn’t just dominate in 2025; he etched his name into the annals of baseball history with a performance that was, by every metric, elite. This wasn’t just a good year. It was a historic one. Skubal, the flame-throwing left-hander for the Detroit Tigers, captured his second straight American League Cy Young award, joining a pantheon of the game’s greatest pitchers—and doing so with authority.
Nearly Unanimous: Skubal Crushes Cy Young Competition
In a vote that was nearly unanimous, Skubal secured 26 of 30 first-place votes, leaving Boston’s Garrett Crochet a distant memory in the Cy Young race. A 2.21 ERA, a jaw-dropping 0.891 WHIP, 241 strikeouts against just 33 walks, those aren’t just All-Star numbers. Those are era-defining. Skubal didn’t merely pitch well; he controlled every game he started, imposing his will on opposing hitters across 195.1 innings of dominance.
Rarefied Air: Back-to-Back Puts Skubal Among Legends
With his second consecutive win, Skubal becomes just the 12th pitcher in Major League history to win back-to-back Cy Young awards. And in the American League, the last to do it was none other than Pedro Martinez in the golden years of 1999 and 2000. The company Skubal now keeps, Martinez, Clemens, Johnson, Maddux—underscores just how rare and difficult this feat is.
Uncertain Future: Tigers Face Costly Dilemma
But history is rarely written without tension, and in Skubal’s case, the drama is unfolding off the mound. While fans celebrate his performance, questions about his future in Detroit linger—loudly. The Tigers, still rebuilding and resource-conscious, face a daunting reality: keeping Skubal may require a deal worth more than $300 million. And with just one year of team control remaining, trade rumors have begun to swirl with increasing intensity.
Skubal’s place in Detroit Tigers history is secure. Alongside Denny McLain, he’s now one of only two Tigers pitchers to win the Cy Young twice. But as with McLain, greatness often walks a complicated path. For Tigers fans, Skubal’s dominance is both a point of pride and a source of anxiety. His brilliance is unquestioned. His future? That remains the cliffhanger.
If 2025 was a masterclass, then 2026 might be a final act, or a new chapter. The only certainty is that wherever Tarik Skubal pitches next, greatness is likely to follow.
