There are very few pitchers ever who have been like Tarik Skubal.
The left-hander, who only had one scholarship offer out of high school and was picked more than 250 picks into his MLB Draft year out of Seattle University, has developed into a supreme ace for the Detroit Tigers.
On Saturday, he made some MLB history.
Skubal struck out 10 batters without walking a single guy in his outing against the Phillies.
It’s been three road outings in a row with double-digit strikeouts and no walks for Skubal, also including starts in Cleveland and Texas.
He’s the second pitcher ever to do that. The only other? Clayton Kershaw in 2016, per OptaStats.
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Skubal is the reigning AL Cy Young winner, and he’s the heavy favorite to repeat.
On the season, he’s 11-3 with a 2.18 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 140.2 innings.
The 28-year old leads the league with fewest hits allowed, fewest homers allowed and most strikeouts.
Batters are hitting just .194 against him, even lower than last season’s .201.
And in 140.2 innings, Skubal has walked just 19 guys.
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He goes right at hitters in a way few pitchers in the league do. And because his stuff is so good, he gets almost all of them out even though they know there isn’t going to be a bunch of waiting around.
Joining Kershaw in the history books is great company, too. The Dodgers’ southpaw is clearly the best lefty of his generation.
Skubal has overlapped the back end of Kershaw’s career, but he’ll be the guy to take the torch as the best left-hander of his generation following Kershaw’s retirement.
It’s been quite the rise for Skubal, who is now atop the mountaintop and doesn’t look like he’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.
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