One name has come to represent domination in the middle of the 2025 season: Tarik Skubal. The star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers is raising the bar for contemporary pitching in addition to improving on his undisputed 2024 AL Cy Young performance.
Skubal’s 6-2 record, 2.16 ERA, and league-best 0.82 WHIP put him right back in the running for Cy Young. However, more than simply the numerals on the surface are drawing attention. It’s the history he is creating in the process.
Dominance Carries in Skubal’s Veins
Over his last 11 starts, Skubal has posted a jaw-dropping 95 strikeouts to just three walks. That level of command and power has simply never been seen in modern baseball. According to MLB research, Skubal is the first pitcher in at least 125 seasons to record 90 or more strikeouts with three or fewer walks over an 11-start span.
His stat line during that stretch, 6-0 with a 1.61 ERA in 72.2 innings, reflects a level of dominance that verges on the surreal. And yet, the fireballing lefty continues to push boundaries.
Tarik Skubal has 95 strikeouts and 3 walks in his last 11 starts
Skubal is the first pitcher to record 90+ strikeouts and 3 BB or fewer in a 11-start span in at least the last 125 seasons https://t.co/Vvnyw6xzKP
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 7, 2025
On May 28, Skubal joined an exclusive club of two when he unleashed a 101.7 mph fastball in the seventh inning or later, a feat only matched by Justin Verlander, and even he only managed it nine times throughout his career. Skubal’s ability to maintain that velocity deep into games is redefining the stamina and explosiveness expected from a starting pitcher.
Detroit Entering Contenders in the American League
As a result, the Tigers are rebuilding with a bang rather than a whisper. Detroit is comfortably atop the American League with a 42-23 record, almost 20 games above .500, and is starting to seem like a serious contender for the World Series. Without a doubt, Skubal has been the focal point of the Tigers’ pitching comeback, but he is not by himself.
This club appears to be built for October based on the rotation’s constant strength and the offense’s timely hits and clutch performances during crucial situations. For Detroit supporters, who have endured almost ten years of disappointing outcomes, it has been a long journey. However, Skubal’s rise, a well-rounded roster, and astute front-office choices have completely changed the course of events.
Knowing that you have baseball’s top pitcher taking the mound every five days has given the clubhouse a newfound swagger. Even though there will be more competition for the Cy Young this year, Skubal has an advantage thanks to his legendary control, dominating stuff, and unwavering consistency.
More significantly, they provide the Tigers with belief, which is much more uncommon. The rest of the American League should be quite anxious if this is the Skubal they will be facing in June.