The Detroit Tigers have been the Cinderella story of the 2024 season thus far and continue to do so in the postseason.
After being left for dead in the middle of the season, the Tigers put together a great stretch of baseball to eventually clinch a wild-card spot in the American League.
They kept up this hot streak as they swept the Houston Astros who have made the last 7 American League Championship Series.
A big reason for the Tigers success is their ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Elias Sports Bureau on ‘X,’ reports statistics that show just how dominant Skubal has been this season.
From @EliasSports, about Tarik Skubal, who starts for the Tigers today: Over the past two seasons, the opponent OPS against him is .553. In last 50 years, the only AL pitcher with a lower opponent OPS in two-year span (min: 250 IP) was Pedro Martinez (in three separate two-year…
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 7, 2024
The statistics that are pointed out include the .553 on-base plus slugging percentage against Skubal over the past 2 seasons.
In the last 50 years, the only American League pitcher to have a lower on-base plus slugging percentage in a 2-year span was Pedro Martinez who did this 3 separate times.
Skubal appears to be in line to win the American League Cy Young Award, and the only other Tigers to do so were Denny McLain in 1968 and 1969, Willie Hernandez in 1984, Justin Verlander in 2011, and Max Scherzer in 2013.
Everybody knows that bases on balls tend to hurt pitchers, over Skubal’s last 7 starts, he has only walked 3 batters in 42.2 innings pitched.
Skubal is starting game 2 for the Tigers on Monday against the Cleveland Guardians in a crucial game before the series heads back to Detroit.
The best chance for the Tigers to win this game comes with Skubal on the mound, and he will look to continue his dominant season.
NEXT: Tarik Skubal Reveals His Thoughts On Facing Matthew Boyd