Detroit Tigers Make Head-Turning Announcement on Tarik Skubal Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated May 9, 2025 11:34 PM ET

The Detroit Tigers had the best record in baseball at 26-13 as of Friday night after a 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit, an exciting development for fans who haven't witnessed a World Series championship since 1984.

Manager AJ Hinch's Tigers got a masterful performance from starting pitcher and 2024 Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal against the Rangers, including seven innings pitched and 12 strikeouts with just two hits and one earned run given up.

Following the game, Major League Baseball and the Tigers both made a Tarik Skubal announcement in recognition of his incredible, season best performance.

"Tarik Skubal generated 32 whiffs today - the most by any pitcher in a start this season," MLB on X and the Detroit Tigers X account both posted.

A whiff is defined as a swing and a miss that occurs when a batter attempts to hit a pitched ball but fails to connect with it.

Skubal is just one of multiple All-Star caliber players on the Tigers this season, part of a pitching staff that ranked third in MLB in earned run average heading into Friday's game.

Skubal hit triple digits on the radar gun against the Rangers, topping out at 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour), pitches that proved to be too much for a struggling Rangers batting order heading into the game.

Next up for the Tigers are games at 6:10 p.m. on Saturday against Texas and 1:40 p.m. on Sunday against Texas, with the Tigers looking to put an exclamation mark on another series win as they hurtle toward a potential first place first half finish in the American League.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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