35. Tarik Skubal

Tarik Skubal emerged as the premier left-handed starter in the American League by way of the 2018 draft, a ninth-round find out of Seattle University who completely defied his modest draft slot. After debuting in the shortened 2020 season, he quickly established a reputation for high-velocity heat and a menacing presence on the mound.

Skubal’s trajectory in a Detroit uniform began to shift during a breakout 2021 rookie campaign, where he led the staff in wins and became the first Tigers rookie to strike out 100 batters before the All-Star break. While he showed the organization that he was a foundational ace in the making, the road to dominance wasn't without its obstacles. A forearm injury in late 2022 required flexor tendon surgery, a setback that sidelined him for nearly a year. However, his return in July 2023 served as a warning to the rest of the league; he posted a 2.80 ERA over 15 starts and earned American League Pitcher of the Month honors in September, signaling that he had reached a new level of offensive prevention just in time for a historic run.

In 2024, Skubal transitioned into the most dominant arm in baseball, becoming the first pitcher in the American League to win the Triple Crown since Justin Verlander. He demonstrated a specialized ability to miss bats while maintaining elite control, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. He solidified his status as the leader of the staff by capturing the Cy Young Award and guiding the Tigers to an improbable postseason berth, ending the city's long playoff drought with a series of masterful October performances.

The bulk of his time thus far in Michigan has been spent on the constant refinement of his repertoire. Between 2023 and 2025, Skubal was a constant presence at the top of the leaderboards, recording a strikeout-to-walk ratio that ranked among the best in franchise history. He reached a career peak for individual dominance in 2025, where he won his second consecutive ERA title and earned another All-Star selection while maintaining a focused intensity that silenced opposing stadiums. He possessed a rare blend of power and movement, providing the steady-state dominance required to anchor a young staff. Despite the immense pressure of being the undisputed leader of the rotation, he remained a model of reliability, entering the 2026 season as the consensus best pitcher in the game.