00:00Welcome to this exciting update on Tarek Skubal's Cy Young journey.
00:04Tarek Skubal has successfully completed the initial phase of his quest to win the Cy Young
00:09Award for a second consecutive year.
00:11The ace pitcher for the Tigers has been named one of the three finalists for this prestigious
00:15accolade, alongside Garrett Crochet from Boston and Hunter Brown, a Detroit native, playing
00:21for the Astros.
00:23The announcement of the award winner is set for November 12th.
00:26Skubal, who received unanimous recognition from all 30 members of the Baseball Writers
00:31Association of America last year, is currently the frontrunner to secure the title once more.
00:37If he wins, he will become the first player to achieve back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards since
00:43Pedro Martinez in 1999-2000 and the first Tiger to do so since Denny McClain in 1968-69.
00:51Although Skubal does not possess a pitching triple crown this season, it is not a necessary
00:56factor for his candidacy.
00:58He once again led American League pitchers with a BWAR of 6.6.
01:02His earned run average ERA of 2.21 was significantly lower than that of second-place Brown, who had
01:08an ERA of 2.43.
01:10Additionally, Skubal's fielding independent pitching, FIP, of 2.45 was well ahead of Crochet's
01:172.89.
01:18Furthermore, his strike-out-to-walk ratio of 7.3 was nearly two points higher than Crochet's
01:24second-place ratio of 5.54.
01:27Equally significant is Skubal's leadership on the field during his pitching appearances.
01:31There is a distinct sense of confidence when the Tigers take the field with Skubal as their
01:35starting pitcher.
01:36Although Skubal's total of 13 wins did not make him the team's leader, Casey Meese achieved
01:4114 wins, the Tigers had a strong record of 21 wins and 10 losses in the games that Skubal
01:49started during the regular season.
01:51In contrast, their performance in games without him was less impressive, with a record of 66
01:56wins and 65 losses, which included an 18-10 record in Meese's starts.
02:02Manager A.J.
02:03Hinch expressed his enthusiasm about having Skubal on the mound before Game 5 of the AL Division
02:09series against the Mariners, stating,
02:12One of the easiest and most thrilling things for me is to hand the ball to the best pitcher
02:16in baseball.
02:17He emphasized Skubal's importance to the team, noting that he is someone who is highly
02:21trusted within the clubhouse for his ability to bring intensity, deliver top-notch pitching,
02:27and achieve results.
02:28Hinch further remarked,
02:30We win together, we lose together, but he is the one who leads us.
02:35This season, Skubal was among five pitchers in the American League to throw a shutout.
02:39His complete game performance against the Guardians on May 25th was particularly remarkable,
02:43as he allowed only two hits, issued no walks, and struck out 13 batters.
02:48The final pitch of that game, a fastball clock, at 102.6.
02:53Ma PH, was his 94th of the day, showcasing his exceptional skill and dominance on the mound.
03:00Skubal delivered one of the most challenging pitches of his career, achieving remarkable success
03:05on the mound.
03:06Throughout his 31, with 31-dob, for he won Asturian regular season starts, he managed
03:11to pitch seven or more scoreless innings in nine of those games.
03:15Notably, during a four-game stretch from May 25 to June 12, he allowed only one run over
03:2030 and two-thirds innings.
03:23Following that, he continued his impressive performance by throwing an additional 19 scoreless
03:27innings from late June into July.
03:29After the Tigers game five defeat in the division series, gold glove catcher Dylan Dingler praised
03:35Skubal's dedication, stating,
03:37He put it all out on the line all season.
03:39That's the kind of pitcher he is.
03:41He's awesome.
03:42I'm sure I'll always remember this season, and what he accomplished.
03:45I'll remember last year.
03:47But it was a first-hand experience for me this year, catching him.
03:50It was awesome.
03:51Do you think Skubal has what it takes to win the Cy Young award again?
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