Guardians' Hated Rival Makes Bold Comment on Cleveland Fans

One of the Cleveland Guardians' top rivals has offered a rather bold comment on the Guardians' fan base.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks towards first base during the first inning against Cleveland Guardians at Game 5 of ALDS at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians do not play in a major-market city, but that does not mean their fans aren't right up there with the best of them.

We saw that during the playoffs, when the crowd at Progressive Field was raucous right up until the final out in the ALCS.

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal faced the Guardians during the ALDS, so he got a full taste of what the Cleveland faithful is like during postseason baseball.

Well, this week, Skubal decided to give Guardians fans their flowers.

"That environment, too, hats off to those fans," Skubal said on the Pardon My Take podcast. "That place was rocking. That place was buzzing. ... That was a really good environment for a postseason game."

Skubal then compared Cleveland to Houston, and for him, the edge went to The Land.

"We played in Houston, too, and Houston's loud," Skubal said. " ... But I thought Cleveland was a better environment."

Skubal won the AL Cy Young award this season after going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA, allowing just 142 hits while racking up a league-leading 228 strikeouts.

He made a pair of starts against the Guardians in the ALDS, pitching a gem in a Game 2 victory and then being on the losing end of the series-deciding Game 5.

The 27-year-old broke into the big leagues in 2020 and showed promise over the years, but he did not truly break out until the 2024 campaign.

Cleveland and Detroit will surely be fighting for the AL Central division title in 2025.