Tarik the Tiger: Tarik Skubal Continues to Make History in 2025

By Elias Meredith 8/21/25 SportzNation

Photo By: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

On Tuesday night, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal notched his 200th strikeout of the season. He earned the win after tossing seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits, and striking out ten in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel against Astros ace Hunter Brown. Motown packed the stadium to see their ace on the bump, bringing a playoff atmosphere to Comerica Park.

Skubal has been dominant all season long. He is 11-3 with a 2.32 and 200 strikeouts to only 25 walks, that’s a 6-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. The Hayward, California native features a five pitch mix including a changeup, four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, curve. Batters are batting .197 against Skubal and for good reason. 

Skubal has the best changeup in the game right now, and he knows it. Skubal has thrown the third most changeups in the league and leads the league in multiple categories when throwing that pitch. Skubal leads the league in changeup whiff percentage, strikeout percent, and put away percentage. He also has a four-seam fastball that he can run up to 100. It is easy to see how Skubal is more than a handful for hitters across the league.

Skubal reached 200 strikeouts for the second consecutive season. He is the first player in MLB history to achieve that feat. Just another reason for Skubal to win the American League Cy Young Award for the second straight year. Skubal is the current favorite to win the award again, if he does he would be the first American League pitcher since Pedro Martinez to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 1999-2000.

The Tigers need their ace to be ready for a deep postseason run. Skubal looks ready for the bright lights and is determined to bring a World Series title to The Motor City after a 41-year hiatus.

Thank you for reading

Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)