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New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
MLB All-Quarter Century Team: How the readers voted — with several close calls
The polls have closed. The winners are plotting their agendas. The losers are drafting their concessions. With 100 percent of precincts reporting and more than 12,000 votes tallied, The Athletic is ready to call the MLB All-Quarter Century Team for the following players who have dominated the 2000s: Jose Altuve. Adrián Beltré. Barry Bonds. Trevor Hoffman. Derek Jeter. Randy Johnson. Clayton Kershaw. Pedro Martinez. Shohei Ohtani. Buster Posey. Albert Pujols. Mariano Rivera. Max Scherzer. Ichiro Suzuki. Mike Trout. Justin Verlander. Advertisement That's 14 Cy Young awards, 18 MVP awards and 20 World Series championships since the end of the 1990s. That's 1,064 victories, 1,253 saves, 2,822 home runs, 19,761 hits and countless moments that will play in our memories forever. Some of those folks already have a plaque in Cooperstown. The rest will be there soon. And Bonds — well, he's got a place here, anyway. Pretty much the same thing, don't you think? Enough preamble. Let's get to it! Here's a look at the voting results, position by position, for our readers' team of the quarter century. Miguel Cabrera wasn't just any hitter. He's one of only three players in history with 500 homers, 3,000 hits and a .300 career average. The others? Hank Aaron and Willie Mays — and neither of those guys won a Triple Crown, as Cabrera did in 2012. For Albert Pujols to win so decisively, then, is a powerful commentary on his resume. He's second to Aaron on the career list for RBIs and total bases. He's the only player in history with 700 homers, 3,000 hits and multiple championships. And he was a titan of October, with a .995 OPS, an MVP award (2004 NLCS) and a three-homer game in the 2011 World Series. Of course, Pujols was at his best with the Cardinals, posting only 12.6 WAR (Baseball Reference) in the 10 years after leaving in December 2011. But while Cabrera's late-career fade wasn't quite as long, it was much worse: .262/.329/.381 in his final seven seasons, for minus-2.5 WAR. And Pujols left on a high, with a triumphant encore in 2022 that secured his spot in the pantheon of greats. Down-ballot surprise: Joey Votto got more votes than Paul Goldschmidt and Todd Helton — combined! Helton's in Cooperstown. Goldschmidt has more homers, RBIs, stolen bases and WAR than Votto, and is currently staging a revival with a humble little outfit known as the New York Yankees. But the people love Votto, an on-base force with a wit to match who seems certain to join Helton — and probably Goldschmidt, too — in the Hall of Fame. No broadcasting family has seen more second-base stardom in the 2000s than Harry and Todd Kalas. Harry — the late, great voice of the Phillies — narrated Chase Utley's rise in Philadelphia. His son, Todd, has called most of Jose Altuve's career as TV play-by-play man for the Houston Astros. The readers chose Altuve, a three-time batting champion with a .305 career average and nearly 2,300 hits — some 400 more than Utley, who batted .275 and has the edge in WAR (64.6 to 52.7), homers and RBIs. It's a tough call, but here's Altuve's winning case: 'He's on his way to a Hall of Fame career, and 3,000 hits is certainly in his scope,' Todd Kalas said. 'He has over 100 games played in the postseason, and only Manny Ramirez has more postseason home runs. Altuve has been a big part of the golden era of Astros baseball, one of the leaders on the team, and it's hard to imagine all of those years of success without him. Even this year, he decided to play left field to help the team as much as possible. He's a selfless player who wants to win more than anything. 'All those factors lead me to believe that the fans got this one right,' Kalas continued, 'but Dad would probably still say: 'Chase Utley, you are the man!'' Down-ballot surprise: Robinson Canó over Dustin Pedroia In the second decade of this quarter century (2010 to 2019), nobody had more hits than Robinson Canó, with 1,695. But the number that seems more likely to define him is 2, as in his career suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. Even so, Canó easily outpaced Dustin Pedroia in the voting (1,708 to 1,334), despite Pedroia's clean reputation and his advantage in MVPs, championships, Gold Gloves, on-base percentage and stolen bases. When the 1990s ended, Derek Jeter had already won three World Series championship rings. Then he started the 2000s by winning the MVP award in the All-Star Game and the World Series in the same season. Francisco Lindor, meanwhile, was 16 years old. He's made up ground quickly, and actually has more WAR in this quarter century than Jeter (51.2 to 47.9), primarily because of his superior glovework and a slightly better OPS (.817 to .806). But Jeter earned this emphatic victory by hitting .307 in the 2000s (33 points higher than Lindor), with six 200-hit seasons, nine 100-run seasons, nine .300 seasons — and two more World Series titles. Advertisement Down-ballot surprise: Lindor tripled Jimmy Rollins' vote total Jimmy Rollins somehow hasn't topped 18 percent in his four years on the Hall of Fame ballot — and readers of The Athletic seem just as dismissive. Rollins is one of only two shortstops with 850 extra-base hits and 450 stolen bases; the other is Honus Wagner. Yet Rollins finished third here, far behind Lindor, who thumped him in total votes, 2,777 to 905. First, his Minnesota Timberwolves fell just short of the NBA Finals. Now Alex Rodriguez finishes just shy of making The Athletic's All-Quarter Century Team. While many of his statistics dwarfed Adrian Beltré's in the 2000s — a .935 to .824 edge in OPS, a 548 to 455 edge in home runs, an 11 to 4 edge in All-Star nods — Rodriguez lost in a narrow vote to the Hall of Famer. His multiple dalliances with performance-enhancing drugs certainly didn't help. That said, the winner has no reason to apologize: Beltré actually had the exact same WAR total as Rodriguez in the 2000s, right down to the decimal point — 89.7. Down-ballot surprise: Scott Rolen finished 7th of 8. Third base is the least represented defensive position in the Hall of Fame, with just 19 members. But from the looks of it, that could change soon. Rolen has a spot in Cooperstown, but finished behind three active third basemen: Nolan Arenado, José Ramírez and Manny Machado. If you like Gold Gloves, longevity and the ability to communicate with pitchers the way Robert Redford whispered to horses, Yadier Molina's your guy. If you liked Silver Sluggers, concentrated greatness and World Series titles, Buster Posey's your pick. Our readers were basically split, with Posey edging Molina by only 57 votes. The championship edge was slim — three for Posey, two for Molina — but Posey earned it, with the Giants beating the Cardinals twice in the NLCS. Down-ballot surprise: Salvador Perez got twice as many votes as Jorge Posada. Here's another example of why New York bias is a myth. Perez has played his entire career in Kansas City. Posada was a career Yankee. Perez's career slash line: .266/.302/.455. Posada's career slash line: .273/.374/.474. Posada has a big edge in WAR and championships. But Perez was a World Series MVP in 2015, owns five Gold Gloves (Posada has none), recently passed Posada in career homers — and crushed him in votes here, 563 to 288. The next time you wonder why Barry Bonds has never been elected to the Hall of Fame, remember this: 75 percent, the threshold for enshrinement via the writers' ballot, is a huge number. Even here, in an election with no clause for character, integrity and sportsmanship, Bonds couldn't amass three-quarters of the vote. To recap, Bonds essentially broke the sport in the first eight years of the 2000s, winning four MVP awards while slashing .322/.517/.724. Of the 356 players with at least 4,000 plate appearances in the 2000s, Bonds' 1.241 OPS is by far the best — the runner-up, Aaron Judge, is at 1.022. Down-ballot surprise: Lance Berkman, the forgotten superstar Let's pause for a moment to hail our fifth-place finisher, Lance Berkman. In the 2000s, Berkman hit .294 with a .407 on-base percentage, .539 slugging percentage and 362 home runs. Only one player can match him in all four categories: Mike Trout. Berkman also hit .410 in two World Series and saved the Cardinals from elimination when they were down to their last strike in the wildest October game of the era. Criminally overlooked. We all know that Mike Trout has spent far too much of the 2020s on the injured list. But while he's largely been out of sight — he's back now from a knee injury — Trout was front of mind for our voters. His 9,451 votes were the most of any position player in the poll. That's appropriate. From his 2012 Rookie of the Year season through 2019, Trout averaged 9 WAR per year, with a .308/.422/.587 slash line. He won three MVP awards and was runner-up four times, the definition of dominance in his prime. Down-ballot surprise: Andruw Jones at less than 5 percent While Andruw Jones started wowing us in the 1996 World Series, most of his achievements have come in this century. He's the only player in the 2000s with 350 home runs and eight Gold Gloves (though Nolan Arenado is close to joining him), and while Trout is the obvious winner here, Jones received just 4.8 percent of the votes. In 2009, the ninth of his 10 seasons with 200 hits, Ichiro Suzuki gave this all-time great quote to Brad Lefton of The New York Times: 'Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me. I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique. I'd rather impress the chicks with my technique than with my brute strength. Then, every now and then, just to show I can do that, too, I might flirt a little by hitting one out.' Aaron Judge is flirting with .400 now, showing that even a generational slugger can be a skilled technician. But Suzuki's appeal is as strong as ever, and he narrowly edged the brawny Bronx Bomber. Down-ballot surprise: Only 19 votes for Giancarlo Stanton! Speaking of hulking Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton amassed just 19 votes. He's no Suzuki or Judge, obviously, and he's missed all season with elbow injuries. But Stanton is the majors' active leader in home runs, and only four players in the 2000s can match him in both homers (429) and OPS (.871) — Pujols, A-Rod, Ortiz and Cabrera. They all got a lot more than 19 votes. David Ortiz hit 531 home runs in the 2000s. He broke a fabled curse, won three championships and made it to Cooperstown on his first try. He even had a bridge named after him in Boston. Yet he's still not our readers' pick for best DH of the 2000s, thanks to that Shohei Ohtani guy. As stupendous as Big Papi was, he didn't win an MVP award. Ohtani's won three. He stole 16 bases in 17 seasons. Ohtani stole 59 last year, while also bashing 54 homers. His career OPS, a mighty .937, still falls a bit short of Ohtani's, .952. (And Ortiz didn't pitch, either.) So congrats to Ohtani, who can add this prestigious honor to the many others he's collected in a career like no other. Down-ballot surprise: No love for Edwin Encarnación. Edwin Encarnación finished last among our eight candidates, with less than 1 percent of the vote, but what a career. He hit 424 home runs with an .846 OPS. The only guys who can match those numbers in the 2000s: Pujols, Rodriguez, Ortiz, Cabrera and Stanton, as mentioned above, plus Nelson Cruz and Adam Dunn. And among those sluggers, only Pujols had fewer strikeouts than Encarnación. (Next five: Roy Halladay, 46.7; Zack Greinke, 22.3; Jacob deGrom, 20.0; CC Sabathia, 17.1; Félix Hernández, 15.2) This was a tough one, in a way, because Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez both have Cy Young awards that start with '19' and '20'. They starred in the World Series in the 2000s and posted winning percentages over .600 in this quarter century. All-time legends, for sure. But, man oh man, what about Roy Halladay? The Hall of Famer had a lot more starts than the others and sure did make the most of them: 194-98 with a 3.36 ERA, two Cy Youngs, a perfect game, a playoff no-hitter and 65 complete games — 26 more than the next-closest pitcher (Liván Hernández). Quite a legacy, even without the nod here. Advertisement Down-ballot surprise: Tim Lincecum got 400-plus more votes than Johan Santana. Sometimes the WAR machine malfunctions. Look at Lincecum and Santana. Both won two Cy Young awards. Both led their league in strikeouts for three consecutive seasons. Santana made 284 career starts, Lincecum 270. Both were finished before their 34th birthday. Would you believe that Lincecum compiled just 19.5 career WAR, while Santana had 51.7? It's true. Santana had better control, prevented runs more effectively and worked about 350 more innings. But Lincecum — a three-time World Series champion — had a much stronger impact on our readers, with 1,243 votes to Santana's 820. (Next two: Billy Wagner, 23.1; Aroldis Chapman, 20.4) How about that? A Yankee and a Padre. You were expecting maybe Jonathan Albaladejo and Jeremy Fikac? MLB named its reliever of the year awards after Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman. They're the only guys with 500 career saves — and both topped 600! They didn't do it all in this quarter century, of course, but both had an unmistakable aura and our readers picked up on it. Down-ballot surprise: Craig Kimbrel got nearly 500 more votes than Kenley Jansen. The most similar player in baseball history to Craig Kimbrel, according to Baseball Reference, is Kenly Jansen. The most similar player in baseball history to Kenley Jansen? Craig Kimbrel, naturally. They both reached the majors in 2010. Their ERAs and strikeout totals are nearly identical. They've both pitched for the Braves, Dodgers and Red Sox (among other teams). Jansen has more career saves (458 to 440), and might become the last pitcher to reach 500. Yet it's Kimbrel — currently in the minors with Atlanta — who resonated more with our readers, with 1,468 votes to Jansen's 941. (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos: Elsa, Nick Laham, Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Miguel Cabrera shockingly erased from quarter century list and here is why
Detroit Tigers legend and one of baseball's greatest hitters, Miguel Cabrera, was shockingly omitted from The Athletic's All-Quarter Century team announced on May 22. It was a Hall of Fame-worthy resume with more than 3,000 hits and 500 home runs that failed to include Cabrera among the 15 players. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Though Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, two of the Tigers' former stars, were included, Cabrera's name was not on the list prompting many raised eyebrows in the baseball community. So why was this great player omitted? Miguel Cabrera's career statistics were legendary, but positions kept holding him back Miguel Cabrera's numbers at the plate position him as one of baseball's all-time greats. He was an All-Star twelve times and a power hitter in his prime years. But as for Jayson Stark's All-Quarter Century team which featured eight position players, five starters, a closer, and one designated hitter Cabrera wasn't included. Why not? They constructed the team by position, and that hurt him. Cabrera had more than 100 games at four positions: first base, third base, left field, and right field. He also spent a huge portion of his later years as a DH. That might serve a team well, but for a list such as this, it blurred where he mattered. First base, initially, was won by Albert Pujols, arguably the best to occupy the position of his greatness at the position. Third base saw Adrian Beltre's excellent defense and similar offense usurp Cabrera's place. As a DH, Cabrera's later stats were not good enough to compete with Edgar Martínez or David Ortiz types. Outfield? Not when legends like Mike Trout and Barry Bonds were in the mix. Also Read: Miguel Cabrera's defense played a role in snub Another reason Miguel Cabrera probably was omitted? Defense. Although he played several different positions, Miguel Cabrera wasn't exactly revered for his glove. His defensive statistics, including Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), were well below average. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At the same time, Beltre, winner of five Gold Gloves and owner of 200 career DRS played elite defense. Add to that 3,166 hits and 477 home runs, and the case for Beltré becomes overwhelming. If Miguel Cabrera was an elite fielder or decidedly superior at the plate, he might have had a more compelling case. But his all-around competition passed him by.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Aaron Judge Living Up To Preferred ‘Hitter' Label With .396 Average
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets ... More Sunday, May 18, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Aaron Judge started being labeled while playing collegiately at Fresno State. He didn't like it. Scouts looked at the 6-foot-7 Judge and immediately tabbed him as a 'slugger.' While Judge could hit the ball over fence with regularity, he wanted to be described by another word. Hitter. 'I grew up as a fan of the San Francisco Giants and I loved Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent and I also watched Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols,' said Judge, who grew up in Linden, Calif., near Sacramento. 'You look at Pujols, he hit for power, but he also went gap to gap and was hitting .330 every single year and driving guys in. 'I just didn't want to be, especially when I started coming up through the minor leagues, where everyone might say, 'Oh, he's just a power hitter.' I just wanted to really be known as a team player and someone who could help their team win in as many ways possible.' Judge has been one of the top home run hitters of his generation. He has gone deep 331 times since making his major-league debut late in the 2016 season and has had seasons of 62, 58 and 52 homers. Yet Judge is proving more than ever this season that he is every bit a hitter as a slugger. Those scouting report preceding Judge being a first-round draft pick by the Yankees in 2013 are obsolete. Despite going 0 for 3 in a 1-0 victory over The Texas Rangers on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, Judge is hitting .396/.486/.743 with 16 home runs in 49 games. He leads MLB in each of the triple-slash categories as well as hits (74) and RBIs (44). It is little wonder that Judge is being compared to Bonds. No MLB player has batted at least .400 in a season since Ted Williams hit .406 for the Boston Red Sox in 1941. However, Judge is flirting with it. Judge is making a strong case to win the third American League MVP award of his 10-year career. He has helped the Yankees to a 30-19 start and a five-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. Judge has also thrived despite losing protection in the batting order when outfielder Juan Soto signed as a free agent with the New York Mets in the offseason for a record $765 million over 15 years. 'I always say I'm running out of superlatives to describe him,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 'But I really am because he's playing a different game than everyone else. It's hard to describe.' What stands out as much about Judge as his hitting ability is how he handles playing in the spotlight of New York, the largest media market in the country. Judge has never been involved in any scandals or controversy, his reputation as clean as that of his predecessor as team captain, Derek Jeter. 'There are many reasons,' Judge said when asked what keeps his grounded. 'Coaches. Family. Teammates. I just kind of watched the guys in front of me when I'd go to big league camp during spring training when I was younger. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 20: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a two-run ... More home run against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium on May 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by) 'I was around a lot of great players and guys who played in this market for a long time and were success. So, it was really watching them and wanting to emulate them.' Signed to a nine-year, $360-million contract that runs through the 2031 season, a case can be made that Judge is entering legend territory for a franchise that has won 27 World Series. However, Judge hasn't won a championship and struggled in his first World Series appearance last fall when the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Yankees in five games. Judge was just 4 for 18 in the World Series and 9 for 49 overall in the postseason. That poor performance stayed with Judge throughout the winter. 'It left a very bad taste in my mouth, and I wanted to be sure that I was prepared right from the start of the season,' Judge said. 'Last October was definitely a motivator for me.' Boone, though, thinks the biggest separator for Judge is his passion for baseball. 'He loves, just loves the game,' Boone said of Aaron Judge. 'There are people who can get by on talent — and he certainly could get by on talent — but I think to be truly great you've got to fall in love with the game. He really loves the game, and it shows every single day.'
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Venezuela Miguel Cabrera joins 2026 WBC as coach with eyes on long-awaited title
Venezuela Miguel Cabrera joins 2026 WBC as coach with eyes on long-awaited title (Image Source: X) Venezuela Miguel Cabrera steps into coaching spotlight for 2026 WBC journey Miguel Venezuela might have a star-studded roster Now, as one of baseball's greatest legends back on the international stage but this time with a clipboard in hand, Miguel Cabrera will be the hitting coach for Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic . Miguel Cabrera, recently retired from a policemen-like position with the Detroit Tigers, will embark on a new phase in the tournament he meant to dominate on his own through 21 seasons of MLB and a very much recognized career. The news was covered by reporter Francys Romero earlier this Cabrera is ready to help mentor the next generation. Miguel Cabrera will be on Venezuela's support staff as their hitting coach in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, his sixth WBC, five as a player and one as a support the season of 2023 the future Hall of Famer retired from his position. He was a twelve-time All-Star, two-time Most Valuable Player, and Triple Crown Cabrera's transition to the role of coach does not come as a shock. He has remained involved with the Detroit Tigers as a special assistant and has always been proud to represent Venezuela on the global rosters are not finalized, Venezuela's 2026 WBC roster could be one of the strongest in team history. Among the available players to compete are superstars such as Ronald Acuna Jr., Jose Altuve, Francisco Alvarez, Willson, and William Contreras. Aces such as Pablo Lopez and Brusdar Graterol can add depth to the pitching staff, giving Venezuela a good balance of offense and Miguel Cabrera leading the batsmen, Venezuela will also benefit from not only his experience but his energy. Miguel Cabrera has been through playing in big-pressure games, and that experience can be a huge asset to a nation aiming for its first WBC will be the defending champions entering the 2026 tournament, having defeated the United States in the final in 2023. But with Miguel Cabrera leading the way and an abundance of talent to draw on, Venezuela could be about to make a serious Read: MLB: Detroit Tigers Decline Miguel Cabrera's Contract Option
New York Times
26-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal's life has changed. His pursuit of excellence is just beginning
DETROIT — The drive from the Detroit Tigers' spring training home in Lakeland, Fla., to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota is 80 miles. If you are lucky enough to avoid the maddening traffic on I-4 West and I-75 South, this drive can be completed in 90 minutes. More likely, the trip takes at least two hours. Advertisement A fundamental aspect of the Grapefruit League — certainly in comparison to its Arizona counterpart, the Cactus League — is the long distances between complexes. The mileage alters how teams prepare. The lack of convenience influences which players go on what trips. Typically, veterans and proven stars don't make the long drives. One day late in Miguel Cabrera's career, the Tigers took the franchise icon to play the Pirates in Bradenton. Cabrera gazed around the old ballpark in awe. Despite spending his entire career in the Grapefruit League, he had never been there before. Telling, then, the choice Tarik Skubal made for his final outing of spring training. The Tigers had a split-squad day. One team was playing the New York Yankees at home in Lakeland. Another was playing the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota. The Yankees were unlikely to bring their A-lineup over from Tampa. So Skubal, who had recently reveled in the challenge of facing the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, chose the drive. 'He's crazy,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that morning. 'I've been to Sarasota three times. It's a great place, but I'm done with the trip.' As Skubal looks for an encore to his Cy Young Award season, perhaps this singular decision says everything. Rather than face a lineup of fringe players and minor leaguers, he went out of his way to face the likes of Adley Rutschman. Not only did Skubal take on this challenge but he also met it in dominating fashion. He powered his fastball, vexed hitters with his changeup and surrendered only one run over six innings. He struck out nine hapless batters who might have preferred he stayed in Polk County. 'I like competing,' Skubal said. 'I think it brings out the best out of me when you see the names and they're very familiar and you know who they are and you go through your scouting report stuff as if it was a normal game.' Advertisement In the clubhouse the next morning, Skubal wanted to clarify: He's not exactly volunteering for the cross-state trips to face the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie or the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter. But he doesn't mind the travel. He craves the competition. And over the course of the 20 minutes that followed, he offered a telling look into the mind of a certified ace on the quest for more. In the mind of Skubal, there is no lack of drive. 'He told me he wants to travel every (spring) start,' Hinch said. 'I'm gonna talk him off that ledge by the time we get back next season.' Perhaps you saw Skubal over the winter. Maybe on TV. Maybe on a podcast. Maybe dapping up Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. Maybe on the sidelines at an Arizona Cardinals game, or on the jumbotron at Ford Field wearing a Detroit Lions jersey, or in the bowels of the Breslin Center, snapping a picture with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. At the BBWAA Awards banquet, where Skubal accepted his Cy Young Award after a season in which he led the American League in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228), he sat next to Tracy Morgan, who joked Skubal should host 'Saturday Night Live.' 'After you win an award, people want to get you places and do cool things,' Skubal said. 'I'm not gonna say no to that.' Visible as Skubal was all winter, truth is his celebrity remains nascent. Tigers prospect Max Clark has seven times Skubal's 58,200 followers on Instagram. Paul Skenes has more than 10 times the amount. Perhaps some of the offseason media tour was a concerted effort by Skubal's representatives at Boras Corporation to begin expanding his brand. The Tigers have also rightfully touted their main attraction. Regardless, the off-the-field spoils are nice. But those around the Tigers will tell you Skubal hasn't changed a bit. Advertisement 'It's awesome to watch him relish in that attention but not change the human,' Hinch said. 'He's still very humble. He still works as hard as ever. He's still very respectful to his opponent. And he knows that there's a lot more attention on him than ever before. I see it as a huge positive for the world getting to know Tarik the way we know him.' Now Skubal arrives at a crux that has derailed many athletes before him. What do you do when you finally achieve the success you craved for so long? The psychological concept of arrival fallacy tells us that awards and milestones do not bring lasting happiness. You can be proud one instant and searching all over again the next. 'That's the battle and challenge for me,' Skubal said. 'I had a really good season last year. Cool. Nobody cares about that this year. Not one guy in here cares.' The great ones are wired differently. Intent on finding the next edge. Skubal is one of those. At 6-foot-3, with his big, forceful delivery, Skubal last year displayed both pinpoint command and next-level stuff. He has the making of a pitcher who could continue to dominate for years to come. He threw 192 innings in the regular season last year. He wants to throw 200 this season. 'Those are kind of the horses around the league that do that, and I want to be one of those guys,' Skubal said. He also understands the pitfalls of the modern game. He has already been through Tommy John surgery and a flexor tendon repair. More than any numbers, 'I'm just looking to be healthy, and when I'm healthy, I'm pretty good,' he said. Tarik Skubal shares the story of how Scott Boras wooed him away from another agency 'He basically sat me down (with) every single number of draft, arbitration, free-agent contracts, contracts … And the numbers weren't particularly close.' Full episode: — Tiger Territory (@TigerTerritory_) February 3, 2025 This presents a perplexing paradox. Legions of Tigers fans are pleading for the team to offer Skubal an otherworldly extension. Scott Boras' clients almost never take such deals before testing free agency. Multiple agents probed at this year's Winter Meetings give the Tigers a near-zero chance of extending Skubal. Advertisement The other fact at play: Hyping up pitchers in 2025 comes with built-in pushback. Injuries are part of the deal when you throw 100 mph with wicked spin. There is always risk at hand. The Tigers have control of Skubal for two more seasons. How they handle the remainder of his tenure — extend, trade or let walk — could impact the franchise for years to come. Skubal has consistently deflected all related questions. He'll let his agents handle the business, he says. While the future lurks in the back of everyone's mind in Detroit, a moment from last October gnawed at Skubal all winter. The grand slam Skubal surrendered to the Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas in Game 5 of the American League Division Series served as the motivation for early mornings and extra reps. At one point in Game 4, the Tigers were seven outs away from advancing to the ALCS. They lost Game 5 with their ace on the mound. Skubal wants the Tigers to be back on that stage. 'I think everyone got a taste of it,' he said. 'I think you become addicted to that taste.' One thing that could aid Skubal in his quest for greater heights: He still carries chips on his shoulder from the path he took to get here. The story is widely known: from a small town in Arizona, only one Division I offer, a ninth-round draft pick after surgery upended his college career. Even the Tigers organization didn't entirely know what it had. Easy to forget Skubal came out of the bullpen in eight of his first nine minor-league games. 'So that tells you what the organization thought about me when they drafted me, right?' Skubal said. 'And then I kind of proved I'm not a reliever. I'm a starter and I'm gonna be a good one.' There's also an important distinction here. Ask Skubal how he keeps his underdog mentality after winning the Cy Young, and the pitcher peels back a layer. Despite the story, he's never loved the term underdog. In Skubal's mind, that implies a lovable loser, a plucky team or player who no one thought had a chance. Advertisement 'I have never viewed myself as a guy who's just happy to be here,' Skubal said. 'I'm not happy to just be here and show up and check boxes and accrue service time and pay. I'm here to try to win. 'I just think there's a slight difference in the mentality of being an underdog versus just being a dog.' One thing that's impossible to deny: Skubal's life is profoundly different than it was only a few years ago. In 2017, he was a college lefty at Seattle University. He still had long hair and a goofy smile. More than once, he trekked to T-Mobile Park to watch Félix Hernández pitch for the Seattle Mariners. Four years later, he found himself facing off against King Felix in a spring training game, as the 2010 Cy Young Award winner failed to make the Orioles. 'I was like, 'Yeah, he kind of had a shorter career,'' Skubal said. 'That's what I was thinking. Then I looked up his Baseball-Reference. It was seven years of, like, dominance. Probably one of the best seven-year runs in the game. That just put it in perspective for me.' Skubal might not be setting specific statistical goals. But he knows how high the standard for greatness is. Skubal has scrolled the stat pages for Justin Verlander and Hall of Famers. There's a respect for the way such pitchers post year in and year out. The longevity can be intimidating. It also provides a roadmap. 'Look at Verlander, look at Gerrit Cole, look at Scherzer, go look at Pedro, Randy, Roger. The game's best,' Skubal said. 'Their seasons are what I did last year for seven seasons in a row. It's just insane. … I've had, what, 2 1/2 years of really good baseball? So I got five more to put together before I can start putting myself in those conversations.' Before Skubal was ever publicly talking about greatness, he spent the spring of 2020 living with fellow pitcher Casey Mize. The two young arms rode in together from Tampa before sunrise every morning. Mize was a No. 1 overall pick. Skubal was just barely getting on the radar. Their careers have since taken different paths. Mize has battled injuries and inconsistency and had to reassert himself just to earn a spot in the Tigers' rotation. Skubal has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in the world. Advertisement In a way, this is a reminder of how mercurial and fleeting baseball success really is. Mize is a diligent worker. Does the right things. It's just never fully clicked. Still, he's able to step back and appreciate how far his friend has come. Outside the Tigers' clubhouse at the end of spring training, Mize rattled off the Skubal mythology in his own words: Later-round draft pick, beat up in his debut season, injured as soon as he tasted success. Obsessed with preparation. Still not satisfied. 'We've kind of been together every step of the way,' Mize said. 'You stack consistent, quality work, good decisions and good preparation, and you get Tarik Skubal.' There is a long list of people who helped shape Tarik Skubal's journey to the top of his sport. One of them is Wil Jones, the kid who joined the Skubal household in high school, the one Skubal now calls a 'role model' and a brother. — Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) September 30, 2024 Even as Skubal began finding his footing in the big leagues, it took time for the rest of the sport to take notice. People butchered his name, called him Tar-eek or Skoo-ball. Then came more strikeouts, fist pumps and accolades. This winter, officials at the MLBPA asked Skubal to join the league's eight-member executive subcommittee, essentially a leadership group for the union. Skubal initially said no. 'I don't think I'm going to put as much time into it as I should,' Skubal said. MLBPA officials asked him again. Skubal relented. He would do it, but only if someone else nominated him. That nomination at union meetings eventually came from Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, a three-time All-Star and union stalwart. 'I think it speaks to guys got a lot of respect for me, which is not taken for granted,' Skubal said. 'I'm a believer in how you do anything is how you do everything. So I'm gonna put my best foot forward for this and be a good resource for not only this clubhouse but guys around the league.' Advertisement This is Skubal entering the 2025 season. He is the biggest name on the Tigers, a force to be feared on the mound, a player respected amongst his peers, and a pitcher hungry for more. 'I'm not trying to add a new pitch or do something crazy like that,' Skubal said. 'But I can hammer out my routine to where I'm more consistent. The command can always get better. Until I'm executing 100 pitches in a row, I still have something to work on.' Skubal will start Opening Day for the Tigers against the defending champion Dodgers in Los Angeles. Then it's on to Seattle. In the same stadium where he once sat in the nosebleeds and watched another ace throw, his alma mater has arranged for a special ticket package in the Mariners' Trident deck. They're calling it Tarik Skubal Night.
