Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal takes home the Triple Crown in pitching

Detroit – There wasn't much to cheer about for Tigers fans on Sunday, from the weather to the baseball.

But when it was all over, a 9-5 season loss to the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park, the fans who had held out until the end once again gave loud applause in a second half packed with fans as the Tigers announced a historic performance of their top pitcher.

Tarik Skubal officially won the American League's Triple Crown on Sunday as the regular season came to a close after leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228).

Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal touches his chest and then raises his fist in recognition of fans Sunday after it was announced he won the American League's Triple Crown for pitching.

Skubal is the first American League pitcher to win the Triple Crown in a full season (excluding 2020) since Justin Verlander did so in 2011.

“Yeah, I mean, it's pretty cool, you know?” Skubal said Sunday night in the Tigers' clubhouse as players' bags were packed for a playoff series in Houston. “But I think if you ask me in a few weeks or whenever our season is over… I'll probably have a different answer for you.”

Skubal put the finishing touches on his regular season with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays last Tuesday, pitching seven innings of shutout ball. He allowed just two hits and struck out seven while walking one. He has allowed a total of three runs or fewer in all but five of his 31 starts this season and has allowed no runs seven times.

Now Skubal turns his attention to the biggest start of his career, Game 1 of a three-game series against the Astros, winners of the American League West. This series begins on Tuesday. All games take place in Houston.

Skubal's final start of the regular season would have been Sunday if the Tigers had to win to get into the playoffs, but he was pushed into the playoffs after Detroit clinched a wild-card spot on Friday night.

“Perhaps the easiest decision of my tenure here,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said as he handed the ball to Skubal for Game 1. “I'm very proud of him for doing it, not just for what he did. The work he's done for him, coming back from his injury, a few innings last year, his work in the offseason at home, his communication with Fett (Chris Fetter, pitching coach), tweaking some things along the way and not, you know, the habit of just assuming that everything would get better, you know.

“He should get the national attention that he’s about to get.”

Skubal, 27, was selected by the Tigers in the ninth round in 2018 out of Seattle University. He debuted in the majors in 2020, made 31 appearances (29 starts) in 2021, then was limited by flexor tendon surgery in 2022 and 2023.

He was 18-4 that season and made his first All-Star team. He has a WHIP of 0.922, picking up where he left off last season when he had a WHIP of 0.896 in 80.1 innings over 15 starts.

Before this season's trade deadline, there were rumors that the Tigers might shop Skubal, who could be a free agent after 2026, in a sweet deal from a contender, but president Scott Harris said that was never seriously discussed. Detroit sent away four veterans at the deadline, including starting No. 2 Jack Flaherty, but retained Skubal, who will now appear in the playoffs for the first time of his major league career after the Tigers bounced back after 10 games in August and September Wild card race to reach the postseason for the first time since 2014.

Skubal will face Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (15-7, 2.91 ERA) in Game 1 when Game 1 is so crucial in a short three-game series. Major League Baseball started the expanded playoffs in 2022.

“He's been important to us all year and every chance he gets on the mound gives us a chance to win,” said Jake Rogers, Skubal's personal catcher. “I’m glad he’s on our team and competing against Houston. It’ll be fun.”

Kerry Carpenter said, “We have the best pitcher in the world right now in Game 1 for us.”

Skubal joins Verlander and Hal Newhouser (1945) as Tigers pitchers in winning the Triple Crown. This is only the 30th time in Major League history that a pitcher has won the Triple Crown; The last was Cleveland's Shane Bieber in the shortened 2020. Skubal is just the 21st pitcher to achieve the feat.

And this offseason, when the awards are announced, Skubal has a chance to join Verlander (2011), Max Scherzer (2013), Willie Hernandez (1984) and Denny McLain (1968 and 1969) as the Tigers to win the Cy Young Award .

But it doesn't take more than 10 seconds of speaking to Skubal – who could start three times in eight games in the first two rounds of the playoffs if it comes to that – to know that it's not the personal trophy, that he longs for, but rather the team ring for his finger.

Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal takes home the Triple Crown in pitching

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Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal takes home the Triple Crown in pitching

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