Tarik Skubal makes history as first Tiger to win AL Cy Young since Justin Verlander & Max Scherzer on his 28th birthday
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal won the American League Cy Young Award on his 28th birthday after a stellar 2024 season. Skubal earned the award unanimously, receiving all 30 first-place votes.
Kansas City Royals' Seth Lugo finished second, while Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase placed third in the voting. In the National League, Atlanta Braves' Chris Sale claimed the Cy Young Award.
Both Skubal and Sale led their respective leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts, achieving the prestigious pitching Triple Crown. This marks the first time two pitchers have accomplished this feat in a full season since Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander in 2011.
Furthermore, Tarik Skubal is the first Detroit Tigers pitcher to win the Cy Young Award since Max Scherzer in 2013. Skubal made his MLB debut with the Tigers in August 2020 after being selected by the club in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB draft.
Along with winning the 2024 AL Cy Young Award and achieving the Triple Crown, Skubal was also named an All-Star this season, marking the first time he has accomplished all these feats.
Tarik Skubal reflects on winning 2024 AL Cy Young Award with family by his side
Skubal celebrated his AL Cy Young Award win on his birthday, surrounded by family and friends. In an interview with MLB, he shared his thoughts on the achievement:
“All the hard work, all the behind-the-scenes effort — moments like this make it all extremely worth it," Skubal said via MLB.com. "Having the support system I have and the people standing behind me means a lot. It’s special to have those guys in my corner.
“The last two months of the season, and even the postseason, were very special. Obviously, it comes to an end—there’s only one happy team at the end of the year — but it was a ton of fun to be part of. The memories and experience will help our club going forward," he added.
Tarik Skubal finished the 2024 season with an 18-4 win-loss record with a 2.39 ERA, 228 strikeouts and a 0.92 WHIP in 31 games started.