Tarik Skubal MLB Cy Young Award winner 2024 has established himself as an extraordinary talent on the mound. The Detroit Tigers’ left-handed ace, who secured the 2024 American League Cy Young Award unanimously, has continued to impress early in the 2025 season, demonstrating why he is considered the premier pitcher in Major League Baseball today.
Through 11 starts this season, Skubal has compiled a 5-2 record, pitching for a Tigers team that is vying for the top record in baseball. Despite a challenging start in early 2025, where he gave up seven runs in his first two appearances, Skubal’s overall performance remains dominant, setting him apart from other starters in the league.
How Skubal Has Reinforced His Status as Baseball’s Leading Starter
Skubal’s latest start was a defining moment showcasing his growing dominance. On May 25, during a complete-game shutout against the Cleveland Guardians, Skubal struck out 13 batters and delivered a historic final pitch. With his 94th and final pitch of the game clocked at an astounding 102.6 mph, this fastball was recorded as the fastest strikeout pitch ever thrown by a Major League starting pitcher since tracking began in 2008.
This remarkable achievement not only set the record for the fastest pitch by a starter late in a game but also reinforced Skubal’s reputation for exceptional stamina and power. Pitched in the ninth inning or beyond, it is an unprecedented feat in recent MLB history.
103 TO FINISH THE COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUTThe fastest pitch of his career on his 94th pitch of the game. Tarik Skubal is different.pic.twitter.com/5y8HDCA2qY— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 25, 2025
The shutout marked one of just 16 complete-game shutouts thrown last season across MLB, signaling how rare such performances have become. Even more noteworthy was Skubal’s ability to achieve this in under 100 pitches, an impressive display of efficiency given today’s pitching trends. Until this performance, Skubal had not thrown a complete game, highlighting the evolution of his endurance and command.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch emphasized Skubal’s remarkable ability, saying,
When he’s got full intensity and full throttle, the sky’s the limit,
—A.J. Hinch, Detroit Tigers manager
Skubal’s mastery is clear. His dominance on the mound is not only thrilling for Tigers fans but captivating for all baseball enthusiasts watching one of the sport’s brightest stars continue to rise.
Improvements That Elevate Skubal’s Arsenal
The tools Skubal brought into the 2024 season have sharpened further in 2025. His Statcast data reveals an extraordinary level of pitching across all key metrics, placing him in the top five percent of pitchers league-wide.
Thomas Harrigan from MLB.com highlighted the improvements in Skubal’s fastball velocity and effectiveness. This season, both of his fastball variants—the four-seamer and sinker—are thrown harder and with increased swing-and-miss rates. The whiff rate on his four-seam fastball jumped from 27.7% last year to 32%, while the sinker’s swung-missed percentage accelerated from 16% to 25%. Skubal is averaging a career-high fastball velocity of 97.7 mph on these pitches.
Interestingly, Skubal has increased usage of his changeup, which he now throws 32.1% of the time, up from 27.1% last year, making it his most frequently employed pitch. The changeup’s effectiveness is undeniable, generating a 50% whiff rate and an impressive 47.7% strikeout rate on the pitch—the highest in the majors on off-speed deliveries. His teammate Reese Olson leads the majors barely ahead at a 50.5% whiff rate on changeups, showing the strength of their pitching tandem.
Statistical Dominance and What Lies Ahead for Skubal
Skubal’s advanced pitching metrics paint a compelling picture of sustained excellence. Even after 11 starts, his performances align closely with his expected ERA of 2.52, mirroring his current 2.49 ERA. This suggests his results are neither inflated nor deflated but represent his true level of skill at this point in the season.
Notably, in his 2024 Cy Young-winning season, he surpassed his expected ERA with a 2.39 actual ERA compared to a 2.72 xERA, signaling that his current 2025 form might see further refinement and possibly an even lower ERA as the season progresses.
Other predictive metrics like xFIP (2.15) and SIERA (2.07) also place Skubal at the top of the league among qualified starters, signaling elite control over expected outcomes. With approximately 21 starts remaining in the season, barring injury or unexpected regression, Skubal’s continued consistency promises to give the Tigers one of the most formidable pitching forces in baseball.
Ultimately, this version of Tarik Skubal represents a milestone not just for the Tigers but for Major League Baseball itself. His unique combination of velocity, control, and pitch mix is a treat for those who follow the art of pitching closely.