Latest news with #Maddux
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tarik Skubal dominates Cleveland Guardians with two-hit 5-0 shutout
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was perfect through five innings at Comerica Park on May 9 against the Texas Rangers, and then repeated that performance on Sunday, May 25, with another five perfect innings to kick off his start against the Cleveland Guardians. Pitchers as good as Skubal have a habit of making perfection routine. But this start reached a new frontier for the defending American League Cy Young Award winner. Advertisement Skubal treated the home crowd to another gem, pitching his first career complete-game shutout as the Tigers beat the Guardians 5-0 on Sunday at Comerica Park. Along with his first career shutout, Skubal also recorded a "Maddux," or a complete game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches thrown. Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, May 25, 2025. JEFF SEIDEL: Does it matter that Detroit Tigers have a fun-loving clubhouse with a bunch of good dudes? The last Tigers pitcher to reach that mark was Keider Montero in 2024, who did so against the Rockies on Sept. 10. Before that, you have to go back to June 12, 2015, with David Price shutting out Cleveland on 93 pitches. In all, it was just the fifth Maddux by a Tigers pitcher at Comerica Park. Advertisement Skubal allowed his first baserunner via a double from Guardians third baseman Will Wilson to lead off the sixth inning. He tied his career high with 13 strikeouts. Celebrate 125 seasons of the Tigers with our new book! Skubal was both effective and efficient in the early innings, recording 36 pitches through his first four innings, averaging nine per frame. He had 72 through seven, keeping him on pace for the Maddux. Skubal recorded another feat during his most recent outing, becoming the first pitcher in Tigers history to record double-digit strikeouts in four consecutive home starts. The Tigers batters were fairly punchless early in the game, save for a fourth inning that gave their starter all the support he needed. Offense breaks out in the fourth The fourth began with an infield single from Justyn-Henry Malloy. Two batters later, Zach McKinstry tattooed a 77 mph slider that sailed into the right-field seats, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead. The homer was McKinstry's third of the season. Advertisement Doubles by both Javier Báez and Gleyber Torres later in the inning added a third run, while an RBI single from Andy Ibáñez added a fourth. The inning looked like it would end on a Riley Green dribbler back to the pitcher, but Guardians starter Logan Allen yanked the throw to first base, allowing Ibáñez to score and make it 5-0. The long inning gave Skubal plenty of time to rest (and think), but he looked just as sharp in the top of the fifth, setting down the side without much stress. Skubal throws 102 in the seventh Skubal kept it steady to start the game, sitting in the mid-to-high 90s with his sinking fastball. Advertisement He got faster as the game went on, however: Skubal launched a 101.7 mph fastball to strike out Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo to end the seventh inning. And that wasn't even his fastest pitch of the game. That was the final one, which got a swinging strikeout from shortstop Gabrial Arias. On that pitch, Skubal hit 102.6. Skubal's fastball velocity has averaged 97.7 mph this season, which puts him in the 94th percentile of all MLB pitchers according to Baseball Savant. But he has also shown a willingness to hit triple digits at any point in a game when needed. He probably didn't need to reach those heights to get the win on Sunday, but he did, anyway. Advertisement You can reach Christian at cromo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal dominates Cleveland Guardians in two-hit shutout
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meet the Detroit Tigers' All-21st Century Team (so far): Who is the ace?
You never know when history is going to strike at a Detroit Tigers game. Well, let's walk that back a bit … if Tarik Skubal is on the mound, you have to at least be on the lookout for history. And, of course, the Tigers ace didn't disappoint on Sunday, May 25, with his first career MLB shutout (not to mention his first complete game in ) … complete with a historic punctuation mark. Advertisement His first 'Maddux' (a complete-game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches). The fastest pitch by a starting pitcher to finish off a strikeout in the Statcast era (dating back to 2008): Skubal's 102.6 mph four-seamer to set down Gabriel Arias And, finally, the first Maddux (out of 443 that Baseball Reference has pitch counts for) with at least 13 strikeouts. (Anytime you can pass Cliff Lee AND Sandy Koufax for one record, you're doing OK.) Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Guardians with a complete game shutout, 5-0, at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Hello, and welcome back to the Purr-fect Game Newsletter, brought to you this week by the number 2 and the letter K(KKKKKKKKKKKK). Skubal's Maddux was also the 207th such game this century, which brings us around to our main topic. Advertisement Pablo Picasso has been cited as saying, 'Good artists copy, great artists steal,' and folks, we aim to bring you the greatest newsletter possible. And so, we're going to steal … well, borrow an idea from the good folks at The Athletic, who last week dropped a list of the top MLB player at every position over the past quarter-century — an All-21st Century team, as it were — 25% of the way in (give or take a few games). In case you missed it, a couple of Tigers made the cut — right-handers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander — and another one — Miguel Cabrera — was snubbed. Celebrate 125 epic seasons of the Tigers with our new book! Advertisement But it got us thinking about what the Tigers' All-21st Century Team would look like. (Spoiler alert: Miggy made the cut for this one.) Let's run through it, position by position … MGR: Jim Leyland The Tigers' most recent Hall of Famer (though he went in without a logo on his cap) starts us off with 700 wins in 1,297 games over eight seasons, plus four playoff berths (including three AL Central titles), two World Series appearances and, entertainingly, 30 mid-game ejections (including one featuring a pause for "God Bless America"). Honorable mention: A.J. Hinch — the current skipper needs just 58 more wins this season to become the eighth manager in franchise history with 400 victories. His peers consider him among the best managers in the game. C: Iván Rodríguez Detroit Tigers' Ivan Rodriguez celebrates after hitting a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit on Friday, Aug. 4, 2006. The Tigers won, 4-3. We'll start the position players with another Hall of Famer, as 'Pudge' (who was inducted into Cooperstown in 2017 on the first ballot, with 76% of the vote) posted a .298/.328/.449 slash line over 4½ seasons (2004-08) with the Tigers. He also gets bonus points for signing a five-year (eventually), $53 million free-agent deal with the then-worst team in baseball. Advertisement As 'Pudge' told reporters in February 2004: 'I didn't come here to lose games," Rodriguez said. "We're going to see this Detroit Tigers team in the playoffs very soon." And sure enough, the Tigers rebounded from a then-AL-record 119 losses in 2003 to AL pennant winners in 2006. Honorable mention: Alex Avila — no Tigers catcher has more games played (760) or home runs (77) hit in the 2000s. 1B: Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera (24) makes his last play at first base as a Tiger on Sunday, Oct. 1 2023. Cabrera is one of the greatest players in Detroit Tigers history and one of the best right-handed hitters of all time. He played for the Tigers from 2008 to 2023. What, you were expecting Spencer Torkelson? Over 16 seasons (2008-23) with the Tigers, Cabrera — who'll have to wait till 2029 for his trip to Cooperstown — put up a .304/.380/.510 slash line, with an OPS of .890 that ranks sixth in franchise history. Oh, and while he was a Tiger, he led the AL in home runs twice, doubles twice, RBIs twice, batting average four times, won two AL MVPs (though both came in his two seasons starting at third base to make room for Prince Fielder), made eight All-Star teams and was the first AL hitter with a Triple Crown (2012) since 1967. Advertisement Honorable mention: Prince Fielder — the son of Tigers great Cecil Fielder mashed 55 homers in his two nacho-stealing seasons in the D. (Tork has 62, but in about 3½ seasons.) ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER? Sign up for a weekly email delivery of The Purr-fect Game, a dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers. 2B: Plácido Polanco ALCS MVP Placido Polanco shows off his trophy to the fans in Comerica Park to celebrate after winning Game 4 in dramatic fashion and advance to the World Series on Magglio Ordonez's three-run homer on October 14, 2006. This is probably the closest call, with Polanco's 4½ seasons (2005-09) of a .773 OPS just edging out Ian Kinsler's .764 over four seasons (2014-17). Head to head, Kinsler gets the edge in triples (18-13), homers (78-37) and slugging percentage (.436-.418), while Polanco had a better batting average (.311-.275) and on-base percentage (.355-.328). Polanco has has the edge in awards, with two Gold Gloves to Kinsler's one, and the 2006 ALCS MVP award. Advertisement Honorable mention: Ian Kinsler — his 28 homers in 2016 are tied for the franchise's single-season record for a second baseman (with Lou Whitaker in 1989). 3B: Brandon Inge Detroit Tigers' Brandon Inge dives for the ball but cannot handle the ball hit by Scott Rolen in the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park in Detroit, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006. Uh, can we put Miggy — who, again, won two MVPs playing the hot corner — at 3B, too? No? OK, then we guess we'll go with Inge, whose .724 OPS as a third baseman is merely fourth among Tigers third-sackers (behind Eric Munson's .748, Nick Castellanos' .755 and Cabrera's 1.025). Still, Inge's glove does a lot of work here, as his 18.6 bWAR as a Tiger includes 9.7 defensive bWAR at third base. Honorable mention: Nick Castellanos — though we'll note his OPS was nearly 70 points lower as a 3B than when he was playing anywhere else, with a glove to match. SS: Carlos Guillén Carlos Guillen throws from his knees to home plate, forcing Cleveland Indians' Jamey Carroll into a rundown back to third base, where Guillen applied the tag for the second out of the ninth inning and the game tied 6-6 at Comerica Park on July 9, 2008. Guillén — not the Tigers' Spanish-language broadcaster — absolutely raked over his first four seasons (2004-07) with the Tigers, with a .311/.377/.508 slash line while playing short. That included a pair of All-Star nods (2004, 2007) and a 10th-place finish in AL MVP voting in 2006, and his .885 OPS at short was the best in baseball — ahead of Hanley Ramirez (.884), Miguel Tejada (.869) and, yes, Derek Jeter (.855) — over that span. Advertisement His final four seasons in Detroit weren't as stellar, though; moved away from short, he had a .766 OPS in 2008-11. Honorable mention: Jhonny Peralta — the misplaced 'H' stood for 'hitter,' as he had a .760 OPS while playing short for the Tigers and earned a pair of All-Star nods (2011, 2013). LF: Bobby Higginson Detroit Tigers outfielder Bobby Higginson hits a triple scoring 2 runs in the 7th inning against the Minnesota Twins during Opening Day at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 8, 2004. Yeah, we're surprised, too. Though Higginson's talents didn't quite translate from Tiger Stadium to the CoPa — his .884 OPS at The Corner became an .807 mark in the early days of an even more spacious "Comerica National Park" — his slash line of .286/.363/.470 in his 405 games in left from 2000-05 were better than we remembered in the revolving door of the Tigers' roster (with 14 different players suiting up for at least 100 games in left since the start of 2000). Advertisement Honorable mention: Justin Upton — Not even two full seasons with the Tigers, thanks to a 2017 trade deadline deal, but he made an All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger (both in 2017) with an .846 OPS over 270 games in left. CF: Curtis Granderson Detroit Tigers' Curtis Granderson hits an RBI double in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox in Detroit on July 25, 2009. The Grandy Man patrolled center for 663 games (just four fewer than Austin Jackson) from 2004-09 and posted an .830 OPS that included 102 homers and 57 triples — the latter tops among MLB center fielders over that span — and had an underrated glove while finishing 10th in AL MVP voting in 2007 and making the 2009 All-Star squad. Honorable mention: Austin Jackson, who arrived from the Yankees in the three-team deal that sent Granderson to New York and landed another member of our team from Arizona (more on him in a bit), finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 and was worth 6.3 WAR on defense, nearly 1½ wins more than Granderson. RF: Magglio Ordóñez Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez hits a 3-run, walk-off home run to defeat the Athletics, 6-3, in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Comerica Park on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006. OK, THIS is the toughest call, as I typed Ordóñez and J.D. Martinez here several times each. It's that close by the numbers, with Ordóñez and Martinez each accumulating 13.5 bWAR over their runs in the Tigers outfield (though Ordóñez played nearly 400 more games in left). Advertisement Martinez had the better OPS (.908-.865), but we'll give Ordóñez the edge thanks to his, er, Magg-ical 2007 in which he led the AL with a .363 batting average and finished second in AL MVP voting. (Also, his homer to end the 2006 ALCS and send the Tigers to the World Series is arguably the most iconic Tigers hit of the century.) Honorable mention: J.D. Martinez — he hit 99 homers in just 458 games as a Tiger, going from a waiver-wire pickup in March 2014 to an All-Star in 2015. DH: Victor Martinez Victor Martinez #41 of the Detroit Tigers hits a RBI-single against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Comerica Park on August 21, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. V-Mart's .785 OPS as a DH with the Tigers is actually 40 points behind the leader, Dmitri Young (albeit in an extra 630 or so games), but we're still giving him the nod on the strength of his three great seasons (out of six as a Tiger). Advertisement Martinez had three incredible seasons, including his 2014, when he led the AL in OBP (.409), the majors in OPS (.974) and finished second in AL MVP voting. He also had three other seasons that , uh, probably shouldn't come up in an All-21st Century list. Honorable mention: Dmitri Young — Did you know he had 10 triples as a DH with the Tigers? That's as many as the next three Tigers DHs (Luis Polonia, Brennan Boesch and Kerry Carpenter) have, combined. Rotation: RHP Justin Verlander, LHP Tarik Skubal, RHP Max Scherzer, RHP Doug Fister, RHP Aníbal Sánchez Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander pitched the first no-hitter in Comerica Park history, striking out a career-high 12, as the Tigers won 4-0 on June 12, 2007. Verlander played for the Tigers from 2005 to 2017. Verlander's résumé during his 13 seasons (2005-17) with the Tigers : 183 wins, 3.49 ERA, 2,373 strikeouts, two no-hitters, AL Rookie of the Year (2006), an AL Cy Young and AL MVP (2011), five other top-10 Cy Young finishes (not counting the one split between Detroit and Houston) and six All-Star nods. Whew. Skubal is behind in the counting stats and no-hitters (though his start Sunday suggests he might have a shot at catching J.V. there) but could pick up his second Cy Young this season. Advertisement Scherzer, meanwhile, struck out 1,081 in 1,013 innings, made two All-Star teams and won one Cy Young (2013). Fister spent just 2½ seasons (2011-13) as a Tiger, but owns the second-best ERA (3.29, just behind Skubal's 3.28) among 2000s Tigers starters with 300 innings, as well as the best FIP. We'll close out the rotation with Sánchez on the strength of his 2013 ERA title (when he finished fourth in Cy Young voting behind Scherzer) and his Comerica Park strikeout record (17 against the Braves on April 26, 2013). Honorable mention: David Price — he spent parts of just two seasons in Detroit — arriving at 2014's trade deadline and departing at the 2015 deadline — for essentially just one full season of work … but what a run: a 2.90 ERA, a 1.222 WHIP and 220 strikeouts in 223⅔ innings. So there's our starting staff; but who's going to close things out for this Tigers super-squad? Well, we'll get to that in a bit. But first … Odds and evens The All-21st Century Tigers are one thing. But what about the 2025 squad? Let's go to the algorithms … Advertisement Baseball Reference: This model is working off the final 45 games of last season and the first 55 of this one (meaning it's still including the 31-13 finish of 2024), a span in which the Tigers have gone 66-34 — a 107-win pace over 162 games. And thus, bbref's 1,000-simulation projection still LOVE the Tigers — the average projected record is still 100-62, with the Tigers still on pace for the top seed in the AL, a 99.8% chance of making the playoffs (down from 99.9% last week — guess that's what losing three straight for the first time since March will do) and an 20.3% chance at winning the World Series, tops in baseball. Baseball Prospectus: Eight games, with a 4-4 record (including a 3-1 mark vs. NL teams), and still PECOTA's individual player projections merged with playing time projections and then a lot of simulations —so much math — have the Tigers winning 90.5 games (down from last week's 91.8-win projection), though that;s just one game up on the Twins' 89.4-win projection. BP's playoff chances for the Tigers also dropped slightly, to 88% from 90.1% last week), though the World Series victory odds jumped to 7.1% (from 6.9% last week). FanGraphs: Their projections —based on 20,000 sims, as always — saw the Tigers' postseason odds plummet from 93.1% to … 93%. Still, the Tigers' projected cushion in the Central over the Twins grew to five games, even as their odds of a World Series title dropped to 7.6% (from 8.4% last week). Mark your calendar Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks into home plate before throwing a pitch in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. It's a mere six-game week, of which the Tigers have already played (and won) one, topping the Giants, 3-1, on Monday, May 26. The rest of the week features two more games vs. the G-Men squeezed into approximately 21 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a three-game set against the Royals in Kansas City, Missouri, beginning Friday. And if you're looking for your next chance at witnessing history (on TV, at least) — that is to say, the next Skubal start — it should arrive on Saturday with a pleasant 4:10 p.m. start. Advertisement Tigers birthdays this week: Jhonny Peralta (43 on May 28), Kirk Gibson (68 on May 28), Brenan Hanifee (27 on May 29), John Brebbia (25 on May 30) and Dean Chance (would have been 84 on June 1; died in 2015). Two Tigers relievers celebrating birthdays this week? That brings us back to … Closer: RHP Jose Valverde Detroit Tigers pitcher Jose Valverde celebrates the final out of the game during ninth inning action against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park, Friday, Aug. 17, 2012. The Tigers defeated the Orioles 5-3. DIANE WEISS/Detroit Free Press He's not No. 1 in saves (that would be Todd Jones, at 146) or innings (Fernando Rodney, at 330) or ERA (Tyler Holton, at 2.36, among the Tigers relievers with at least 100 appearances this century), but 'Papa Grande' — that's 'Big Potato' in English — is arguably the best to close out games as a Tiger in the 21st century, with 3.22 ERA, 119 saves and 199 strikeouts in 223⅔ innings over four seasons (2010-13). That stint includes two All-Star nods and a ridiculous 2011 season in which he converted all 49 of his save attempts and finished fifth in Cy Young voting. Advertisement Honorable mention: Todd Jones — Just one pitcher in Tigers history (Mike Henneman, 154) has more saves than the 146 the 'Roller Coaster' racked up in the 21st century, and no one can beat his 235 in his Tigers career. Contact Ryan Ford at rford@ Follow him on X @theford and on BlueSky at @ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers All-21st Century Team: Justin Verlander or Tarik Skubal as ace?
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Meet the Detroit Tigers' All-21st Century Team (so far)
Meet the Detroit Tigers' All-21st Century Team (so far) Picking the best Detroit Tigers since 2000 at every position isn't too tough, though there are some surprisingly difficult choices. Show Caption Hide Caption Pete Rose now eligible for Hall of Fame after years of ineligibility USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale discusses Pete Rose now being eligible for the Hall of Fame and what it means for the steroid era players. Sports Pulse You never know when history is going to strike at a Detroit Tigers game. Well, let's walk that back a bit … if Tarik Skubal is on the mound, you have to at least be on the lookout for history. And, of course, the Tigers ace didn't disappoint on Sunday, May 25, with his first career MLB shutout (not to mention his first complete game in ) … complete with a historic punctuation mark. His first 'Maddux' (a complete-game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches). The fastest pitch by a starting pitcher to finish off a strikeout in the Statcast era (dating back to 2008): Skubal's 102.6 mph four-seamer to set down Gabriel Arias And, finally, the first Maddux (out of 443 that Baseball Reference has pitch counts for) with at least 13 strikeouts. (Anytime you can pass Cliff Lee AND Sandy Koufax for one record, you're doing OK.) Hello, and welcome back to the Purr-fect Game Newsletter. Skubal's Maddux was also the 207th such game this century, which brings us around to our main topic. Pablo Picasso has been cited as saying, 'Good artists copy, great artists steal,' and folks, we aim to bring you the greatest newsletter possible. And so, we're going to steal … well, borrow an idea from the good folks at The Athletic, who last week dropped a list of the top MLB player at every position over the past quarter-century — an All-21st Century team, as it were — 25% of the way in (give or take a few games). In case you missed it, a couple of Tigers made the cut — right-handers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander — and another one — Miguel Cabrera — was snubbed. Celebrate 125 epic seasons of the Tigers with our new book! But it got us thinking about what the Tigers' All-21st Century Team would look like. (Spoiler alert: Miggy made the cut for this one.) Let's run through it, position by position … MGR: Jim Leyland The Tigers' most recent Hall of Famer (though he went in without a logo on his cap) starts us off with 700 wins in 1,297 games over eight seasons, plus four playoff berths (including three AL Central titles), two World Series appearances and, entertainingly, 30 mid-game ejections (including one featuring a pause for "God Bless America"). Honorable mention: A.J. Hinch — the current skipper needs just 58 more wins this season to become the eighth manager in franchise history with 400 victories. His peers consider him among the best managers in the game. C: Iván Rodríguez We'll start the position players with another Hall of Famer, as 'Pudge' (who was inducted into Cooperstown in 2017 on the first ballot, with 76% of the vote) posted a .298/.328/.449 slash line over 4½ seasons (2004-08) with the Tigers. He also gets bonus points for signing a five-year (eventually), $53 million free-agent deal with the then-worst team in baseball. As 'Pudge' told reporters in February 2004: 'I didn't come here to lose games," Rodriguez said. "We're going to see this Detroit Tigers team in the playoffs very soon." And sure enough, the Tigers rebounded from a then-AL-record 119 losses in 2003 to AL pennant winners in 2006. Honorable mention: Alex Avila — no Tigers catcher has more games played (760) or home runs (77) hit in the 2000s. 1B: Miguel Cabrera What, you were expecting Spencer Torkelson? Over 16 seasons (2008-23) with the Tigers, Cabrera — who'll have to wait till 2029 for his trip to Cooperstown — put up a .304/.380/.510 slash line, with an OPS of .890 that ranks sixth in franchise history. Oh, and while he was a Tiger, he led the AL in home runs twice, doubles twice, RBIs twice, batting average four times, won two AL MVPs (though both came in his two seasons starting at third base to make room for Prince Fielder), made eight All-Star teams and was the first AL hitter with a Triple Crown (2012) since 1967. Honorable mention: Prince Fielder — the son of Tigers great Cecil Fielder mashed 55 homers in his two nacho-stealing seasons in the D. (Tork has 62, but in about 3½ seasons.) ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER? Sign up for a weekly email delivery of The Purr-fect Game, a dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers. 2B: Plácido Polanco This is probably the closest call, with Polanco's 4½ seasons (2005-09) of a .773 OPS just edging out Ian Kinsler's .764 over four seasons (2014-17). Head to head, Kinsler gets the edge in triples (18-13), homers (78-37) and slugging percentage (.436-.418), while Polanco had a better batting average (.311-.275) and on-base percentage (.355-.328). Polanco has has the edge in awards, with two Gold Gloves to Kinsler's one, and the 2006 ALCS MVP award. Honorable mention: Ian Kinsler — his 28 homers in 2016 are tied for the franchise's single-season record for a second baseman (with Lou Whitaker in 1989). 3B: Brandon Inge Uh, can we put Miggy — who, again, won two MVPs playing the hot corner — at 3B, too? No? OK, then we guess we'll go with Inge, whose .724 OPS as a third baseman is merely fourth among Tigers third-sackers (behind Eric Munson's .748, Nick Castellanos' .755 and Cabrera's 1.025). Still, Inge's glove does a lot of work here, as his 18.6 bWAR as a Tiger includes 9.7 defensive bWAR at third base. Honorable mention: Nick Castellanos — though we'll note his OPS was nearly 70 points lower as a 3B than when he was playing anywhere else, with a glove to match. SS: Carlos Guillén Guillén — not the Tigers' Spanish-language broadcaster — absolutely raked over his first four seasons (2004-07) with the Tigers, with a .311/.377/.508 slash line while playing short. That included a pair of All-Star nods (2004, 2007) and a 10th-place finish in AL MVP voting in 2006, and his .885 OPS at short was the best in baseball — ahead of Hanley Ramirez (.884), Miguel Tejada (.869) and, yes, Derek Jeter (.855) — over that span. His final four seasons in Detroit weren't as stellar, though; moved away from short, he had a .766 OPS in 2008-11. Honorable mention: Jhonny Peralta — the misplaced 'H' stood for 'hitter,' as he had a .760 OPS while playing short for the Tigers and earned a pair of All-Star nods (2011, 2013). LF: Bobby Higginson Yeah, we're surprised, too. Though Higginson's talents didn't quite translate from Tiger Stadium to the CoPa — his .884 OPS at The Corner became an .807 mark in the early days of an even more spacious "Comerica National Park" — his slash line of .286/.363/.470 in his 405 games in left from 2000-05 were better than we remembered in the revolving door of the Tigers' roster (with 14 different players suiting up for at least 100 games in left since the start of 2000). Honorable mention: Justin Upton — Not even two full seasons with the Tigers, thanks to a 2017 trade deadline deal, but he made an All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger (both in 2017) with an .846 OPS over 270 games in left. CF: Curtis Granderson The Grandy Man patrolled center for 663 games (just four fewer than Austin Jackson) from 2004-09 and posted an .830 OPS that included 102 homers and 57 triples — the latter tops among MLB center fielders over that span — and had an underrated glove while finishing 10th in AL MVP voting in 2007 and making the 2009 All-Star squad. Honorable mention: Austin Jackson, who arrived from the Yankees in the three-team deal that sent Granderson to New York and landed another member of our team from Arizona (more on him in a bit), finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 and was worth 6.3 WAR on defense, nearly 1½ wins more than Granderson. RF: Magglio Ordóñez OK, THIS is the toughest call, as I typed Ordóñez and J.D. Martinez here several times each. It's that close by the numbers, with Ordóñez and Martinez each accumulating 13.5 bWAR over their runs in the Tigers outfield (though Ordóñez played nearly 400 more games in left). Martinez had the better OPS (.908-.865), but we'll give Ordóñez the edge thanks to his, er, Magg-ical 2007 in which he led the AL with a .363 batting average and finished second in AL MVP voting. (Also, his homer to end the 2006 ALCS and send the Tigers to the World Series is arguably the most iconic Tigers hit of the century.) Honorable mention: J.D. Martinez — he hit 99 homers in just 458 games as a Tiger, going from a waiver-wire pickup in March 2014 to an All-Star in 2015. DH: Victor Martinez V-Mart's .785 OPS as a DH with the Tigers is actually 40 points behind the leader, Dmitri Young (albeit in an extra 630 or so games), but we're still giving him the nod on the strength of his three great seasons (out of six as a Tiger). Martinez had three incredible seasons, including his 2014, when he led the AL in OBP (.409), the majors in OPS (.974) and finished second in AL MVP voting. He also had three other seasons that , uh, probably shouldn't come up in an All-21st Century list. Honorable mention: Dmitri Young — Did you know he had 10 triples as a DH with the Tigers? That's as many as the next three Tigers DHs (Luis Polonia, Brennan Boesch and Kerry Carpenter) have, combined. Rotation: RHP Justin Verlander, LHP Tarik Skubal, RHP Max Scherzer, RHP Doug Fister, RHP Aníbal Sánchez Verlander's résumé during his 13 seasons (2005-17) with the Tigers : 183 wins, 3.49 ERA, 2,373 strikeouts, two no-hitters, AL Rookie of the Year (2006), an AL Cy Young and AL MVP (2011), five other top-10 Cy Young finishes (not counting the one split between Detroit and Houston) and six All-Star nods. Whew. Skubal is behind in the counting stats and no-hitters (though his start Sunday suggests he might have a shot at catching J.V. there) but could pick up his second Cy Young this season. Scherzer, meanwhile, struck out 1,081 in 1,013 innings, made two All-Star teams and won one Cy Young (2013). Fister spent just 2½ seasons (2011-13) as a Tiger, but owns the second-best ERA (3.29, just behind Skubal's 3.28) among 2000s Tigers starters with 300 innings, as well as the best FIP. We'll close out the rotation with Sánchez on the strength of his 2013 ERA title (when he finished fourth in Cy Young voting behind Scherzer) and his Comerica Park strikeout record (17 against the Braves on April 26, 2013). Honorable mention: David Price — he spent parts of just two seasons in Detroit — arriving at 2014's trade deadline and departing at the 2015 deadline — for essentially just one full season of work … but what a run: a 2.90 ERA, a 1.222 WHIP and 220 strikeouts in 223⅔ innings. So there's our starting staff; but who's going to close things out for this Tigers super-squad? Well, we'll get to that in a bit. But first … Odds and evens The All-21st Century Tigers are one thing. But what about the 2025 squad? Let's go to the algorithms … Baseball Reference: This model is working off the final 45 games of last season and the first 55 of this one (meaning it's still including the 31-13 finish of 2024), a span in which the Tigers have gone 66-34 — a 107-win pace over 162 games. And thus, bbref's 1,000-simulation projection still LOVE the Tigers — the average projected record is still 100-62, with the Tigers still on pace for the top seed in the AL, a 99.8% chance of making the playoffs (down from 99.9% last week — guess that's what losing three straight for the first time since March will do) and an 20.3% chance at winning the World Series, tops in baseball. Baseball Prospectus: Eight games, with a 4-4 record (including a 3-1 mark vs. NL teams), and still PECOTA's individual player projections merged with playing time projections and then a lot of simulations —so much math — have the Tigers winning 90.5 games (down from last week's 91.8-win projection), though that;s just one game up on the Twins' 89.4-win projection. BP's playoff chances for the Tigers also dropped slightly, to 88% from 90.1% last week), though the World Series victory odds jumped to 7.1% (from 6.9% last week). FanGraphs: Their projections —based on 20,000 sims, as always — saw the Tigers' postseason odds plummet from 93.1% to … 93%. Still, the Tigers' projected cushion in the Central over the Twins grew to five games, even as their odds of a World Series title dropped to 7.6% (from 8.4% last week). Mark your calendar It's a mere six-game week, of which the Tigers have already played (and won) one, topping the Giants, 3-1, on Monday, May 26. The rest of the week features two more games vs. the G-Men squeezed into approximately 21 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a three-game set against the Royals in Kansas City, Missouri, beginning Friday. And if you're looking for your next chance at witnessing history (on TV, at least) — that is to say, the next Skubal start — it should arrive on Saturday with a pleasant 4:10 p.m. start. Tigers birthdays this week: Jhonny Peralta (43 on May 28), Kirk Gibson (68 on May 28), Brenan Hanifee (27 on May 29), John Brebbia (25 on May 30) and Dean Chance (would have been 84 on June 1; died in 2015). Two Tigers relievers celebrating birthdays this week? That brings us back to … Closer: RHP Jose Valverde He's not No. 1 in saves (that would be Todd Jones, at 146) or innings (Fernando Rodney, at 330) or ERA (Tyler Holton, at 2.36, among the Tigers relievers with at least 100 appearances this century), but 'Papa Grande' — that's 'Big Potato' in English — is arguably the best to close out games as a Tiger in the 21st century, with 3.22 ERA, 119 saves and 199 strikeouts in 223⅔ innings over four seasons (2010-13). That stint includes two All-Star nods and a ridiculous 2011 season in which he converted all 49 of his save attempts and finished fifth in Cy Young voting. Honorable mention: Todd Jones — Just one pitcher in Tigers history (Mike Henneman, 154) has more saves than the 146 the 'Roller Coaster' racked up in the 21st century, and no one can beat his 235 in his Tigers career. Contact Ryan Ford at rford@ Follow him on X @theford and on BlueSky at @
Fox News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Tigers' Tarik Skubal pitches incredible game in win over Guardians: 'Sky is the limit'
Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal asserted himself as one of Major League Baseball's best pitchers on Sunday with a dominant performance in a win over the Cleveland Guardians. Skubal completed what is known in the majors as the "Maddux" – a nod to Baseball Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. To attain the feat, a pitcher must throw a shutout in at least nine innings with fewer than 100 pitches thrown. The statistic was created in 2012. The Tigers pitcher lasted all nine innings, allowed two hits and struck out 13 batters. He threw 94 pitches. Detroit won the game 5-0 as the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner completed the first complete game of his career. "I don't know what to say because you don't see it very often," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "When he's got full intensity and full throttle, the sky is the limit." He became the only major league player to throw a shutout with 13 or more strikeouts and fewer than 100 pitchers since pitches started to be tracked in 1988, according to Sportsradar. He is also the first Tigers player to have at least 10 strikeouts in four straight home games. Skubal admitted to tearing up before he stepped out toward the mound for the ninth inning. He heard the roar of the crowd at Comerica Park. "Little teary-eyed out there, honestly, before the inning started," Skubal said. "It was pretty cool. I just thought to myself, `12-year-old me wouldn't believe that was an opportunity to have the fan base support you the way it does and be in that moment.' "It was pretty special." He has a 2.49 ERA and 92 strikeouts this season. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Tarik Skubal unleashes 103 MPH fireball, 13 Ks and a historic shutout as Tigers tear apart the Guardians
Tarik Skubal delivered a masterclass on May 25, striking out 13 batters in a complete game shutout to lead the Detroit Tigers to a dominant 5–0 win over the Cleveland Guardians . It was a performance for the history books—efficient, electric, and absolutely unforgiving. Fitting, then, that Skubal is a Czech name meaning 'to tear up,' and Tarik comes from the Arabic for 'strike.' On this day, he did both. Skubal's outing was nothing short of legendary. He pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and no walks. Remarkably, he achieved this feat with just 99 pitches, earning a "Maddux"—a complete game shutout under 100 pitches. This was the first of his career and marked the first time a Tigers pitcher accomplished such a feat with 13 strikeouts and fewer than three baserunners. Skubal's dominance was evident from the start, retiring the first 15 batters he faced. His fastball velocity increased as the game progressed, culminating in a 102.6 mph pitch to end the game, the fastest pitch of his career and one of the fastest recorded by a starting pitcher deep into a game in the Statcast era. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Transition to high growth career in business analytics BITS Pilani WILP Apply Now Undo The Tigers' offense provided ample support in the fourth inning, scoring five runs. Zach McKinstry initiated the rally with a two-run homer, followed by RBI hits from Gleyber Torres and Andy Ibáñez. This offensive burst was more than enough for Skubal, who maintained control throughout the game. The victory was crucial for the Tigers, halting a three-game losing streak and preventing a series sweep by the Guardians . Skubal's performance not only secured the win but also showcased his potential as a leading force in the Tigers' rotation. Live Events Who is Tarik Skubal? Born in Hayward, California, Tarik Skubal was drafted by the Tigers in 2018. Despite undergoing Tommy John surgery in college, he quickly ascended through the minor leagues, making his MLB debut in 2020. Known for his powerful fastball and sharp slider, Skubal has steadily improved each season. In 2024, he earned his first All-Star selection and led the American League in several pitching categories, including WHIP and strikeouts. His dedication to refining his craft and his resilience through injuries have made him a cornerstone of the Tigers' pitching staff.
