Tarik Skubal is on the verge of a rare achievement in the American League, aiming to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards for the first time in 23 years. Skubal’s dominant performance in Sunday night’s game in Detroit helped the Tigers secure a 2-1 victory over Texas, highlighting why he is favored to repeat as the AL’s top pitcher this season.
In a standout outing, Skubal struck out 11 batters without issuing a walk, solidifying his status as the leading candidate for the Cy Young award. Should he succeed, he would become the first American League pitcher since Pedro Martinez, who accomplished the feat during the 1999 and 2000 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, to earn consecutive Cy Young honors.
Skubal’s Place Among Legendary Pitchers in AL History
Winning consecutive Cy Young awards is an exceptional feat that only a select few American League pitchers have achieved. Apart from Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens did so twice in his career (in 1986-87 and again in 1997-98), while Jim Palmer also won back-to-back awards in 1975 and 1976. These pitchers form a distinguished group that underlines the rarity of Skubal’s potential achievement.
Pitchers in the National League have found this accomplishment more common, with players like Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson winning the award four years in a row, and others such as Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Jacob deGrom securing two consecutive Cy Youngs. Additionally, legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax earned back-to-back honors in 1965 and 1966 when the award was given jointly for both leagues.
Recent Tigers’ Struggles Highlight Importance of Skubal’s Win
Sunday’s victory ended a six-game losing streak for the Detroit Tigers, who still hold the best record in baseball and command an 11-game lead in the American League Central division. While the team’s recent slump included struggles during the All-Star game—where Skubal gave up two runs early and teammate Casey Mize allowed a home run—the strong outing against Texas was a positive sign.
Skubal’s impressive performance helped him regain the AL lead in earned run average (ERA), sitting at 2.1854, narrowly ahead of Boston’s Garrett Crochet, who trails with a 2.1946 ERA. This statistical edge reinforces Skubal’s candidacy for the Cy Young award once more.
Potential for Dual Repeat by Skubal and MVP Aaron Judge
Tarik Skubal is not the only player with an opportunity to achieve consecutive honors this year. Aaron Judge, last season’s American League MVP, is also in contention to repeat as the league’s most valuable player. If both Skubal and Judge win their respective awards again, it would mark only the fourth time in Major League Baseball history that a league has seen back-to-back winners of both the MVP and Cy Young awards in the same league.
Such dual repeats have previously occurred exclusively in the National League, with pairings like Albert Pujols and Tim Lincecum in 2008-09, Barry Bonds and Randy Johnson in 2001-02, and again Bonds with Greg Maddux in 1992-93. This rare achievement would underline the strength of leadership emerging for the Tigers and the AL as a whole.
Other Notable Highlights from Recent MLB Games
Kyle Stowers of the Miami Marlins continues to make headlines after hitting five home runs over two games last week, including a two-run walk-off homer that secured an 8-7 win against Kansas City. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan demonstrated solid pitching by allowing just one run over seven innings and striking out 11 in a 7-1 victory over Colorado, lowering his ERA to 2.63.
The New York Yankees provided an exciting comeback on Saturday night, overturning a 7-2 deficit against Atlanta to win 12-9. Trent Grisham delivered a grand slam in the top of the ninth with two outs, breaking a tie. The Yankees rallied with key home runs from Cody Bellinger and Anthony Volpe, overcoming Atlanta’s 96.1% win probability peak in the fifth inning, according to Baseball Savant.
Surprising ERA Title Winner from 1988
A bit of baseball trivia recalls the 1988 American League ERA title, which was won by a Minnesota left-hander with a very slim margin over Milwaukee’s Teddy Higuera. Although Frank Viola was the Twins’ star lefty who won the Cy Young that year with a 24-7 record, the ERA crown went to Allan Anderson, who edged Higuera by a narrow difference in ERA to claim the title.
Allan Anderson’s achievement remains a unique highlight in Twins history, reflecting how competitive pitching titles can hinge on the smallest statistical advantages.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What nationality is Tarik Skubal from?
A. Tarik Daniel Skubal, born on November 20, 1996, is a professional baseball pitcher from the United States who plays for the MLB’s Detroit Tigers.