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Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal Reveals What Leaving a Legacy Means to Him

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has put himself in a position this year to accomplish an incredibly rare feat.

After completing the pitching triple crown in 2024 and unanimously being voted the American League Cy Young Award winner, he has a chance to repeat that feat in 2025, taking his production to another level.

Skubal currently leads the AL with a 2.35 ERA. Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox is in second with a 2.48 ERA. His 11 victories are currently tied for third, with Crochet leading the way at 13 victories. Max Fried of the New York Yankees is in second with 12 and five other pitchers, including his teammate Casey Mize, are tied with 11.

He has 187 strikeouts, which is only one behind Crochet for the AL lead. The 11.580 K/9 ratio that he owns is the best in the league, just beating out his Red Sox left-handed counterpart, who has an 11.107 ratio.

Skubal’s 8.90 K/BB ratio, 1.3 BB/9, 2.12 FIP and 0.860 WHIP are all the best in baseball. His 5.6 bWAR is tops amongst AL pitchers along with his .786 winning percentage and 177 ERA+. The numbers are certainly there for him to be the runaway Cy Young Award recipient for the second straight year.

Tarik Skubal is all about winning

While personal accolades like that are great to receive, especially when a player is nearing free agency as the Tigers ace will be after the 2026 campaign, it isn’t what Skubal is solely focused on.

During an appearance on Foul Territory, he revealed what it means to leave a legacy. Personal achievements are great, but what is most important, in his opinion, when it comes to a legacy is winning.

"A legacy, for me, is to bring a championship to the city I'm playing in,” Skubal said during his appearance on the show.

"A legacy, for me, is to bring a championship to the city I'm playing in."

Sole accomplishments are great, but Tarik Skubal is all about raising banners. pic.twitter.com/mwvwua1bw4
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 11, 2025

His goal is to bring a World Series to Detroit more so than continuing to rack up awards and personal achievements, such as All-Star game nods and Cy Young Awards. Those are what will get Skubal paid handsomely, whether it is via contract extension from the Tigers or another franchise in free agency.

That's not to say he doesn't have personal goals he wishes to achieve. For example, he wants to reach the 200-inning plateau for the first time in his career in 2025.

But, those individual achievements, while still important, aren't what will leave the lasting legacy that he is hoping for. Titles are the only thing that will suffice in that regard and Skubal is a big reason why the Tigers have a chance to take home a World Series this year.