Which Tigers Pitcher Has Optimized His Pitch Mix Along with Ace Tarik Skubal?

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is arguably the best starting pitcher currently in baseball.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner won the pitching Triple Crown in 2024 and is putting together another dominant season in 2025.

Through 15 starts, he has gone 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA across 96 innings with 117 strikeouts and only 12 walks. His 3.8 bWAR is the best amongst pitchers in the AL, while his 1.91 FIP, 0.854 WHIP and 9.75 K/BB ratio are all the best in baseball.

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Skubal has a strong case to be the starting pitcher for the AL All-Star Team and will be in the running for a second consecutive AL Cy Young Award.

Given his dominance on the mound, it should come as no surprise that he possesses one of the most optimized pitch mixes in the sport.

Over at ESPN, Neil Paine created the Nash Score, which reveals whether or not a pitcher is throwing the right pitches.

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The lower the score, the more optimized their selection is, not only mixing and matching well but not relying too much on an offering that isn’t as effective as the others in their repertoire.

Skubal came in 11th amongst qualified pitchers with a Nash Score of 0.37.

“It's also no surprise to see Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, grace a list of hurlers who pick from their arsenals in the most efficient way. What everyone on the list has in common is a pitch selection largely in equilibrium, where effectiveness and usage are closely aligned,” Paine wrote.

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Alas, the Tigers star isn’t the only starting pitcher who made the top 15.

Rounding out the list is Reese Olson, who is currently on the injured list with a finger injury on his pitching hand, had a Nash Score of 0.42.

The 25-year-old has battled injuries throughout his career, but when he has been able to get on the mound, he has been effective in large part because he has optimized his pitch selection.

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Prior to landing on the injured list, Olson had a 2.96 ERA across 48.2 innings with 51 strikeouts. He relies most heavily on a slider/sinker combo, throwing them 27% and 24% of the time, with both registering positive run values per 100 pitches.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.