New Rankings Show How Much Detroit Tigers Starting Pitching Must Improve
The Detroit Tigers could have a Cy Young winner in Tarik Skubal. There’s no doubt he’s one of the best starters in baseball.
It’s the rest of the rotation that, for now, is the issue. If the Tigers want to build around Skubal, there is work to do.
The Athletic recently ranked the Top 150 starting pitchers in baseball, an exercise it goes through at various times during the season. With the final month approaching Skubal made a great impression.
He was ranked No. 2 overall, with only Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler ahead of him. The pair essentially flipped — Skubal was ahead of Wheeler in the last rankings.
The site used a number of stats, including Stuff+, future projections, strikeout-minus-walk rate, recent performances and the expected future schedule for the final month.
Skubal has been the Tigers’ top performer all season, earning an All-Star Game nod for the American League. While there has been some controversy about how much he’ll start down the stretch, manager A.J. Hinch recently made it clear that the schedule has more to do with the ace not throwing on normal rest than the team’s desire to slow him down.
“There are some natural things that are going to create some rest for him,” Hinch said. “Let me tell you, about every five, six days, when we get him on the mound, it's fun to watch him pitch and I have the best seat in the house.”
Skubal is among the American League leaders in wins (15), ERA (2.58) and strikeouts (193) and could end up with pitching’s triple crown if he can lead those categories at season’s end. He’s already set career highs in several categories.
But look down the list and the Tigers clearly need to get him some help.
Casey Mize, a one-time top prospect who has been hurt for much of the last month, checked in at No. 100. He was No. 84. Mize hasn’t lived up to his status as a former top prospect yet, but injuries have played a role, including Tommy John surgery.
The Tigers hope to have him on the mound for the final month of the season so he can build some momentum toward 2025.
The other Tigers starter in the top 150 was Keider Montero, who moved up from No. 146 to No. 133. The rookie is 4-6 with a 5.17 ERA in 13 games (12 starts), with 58 strikeouts and 24 walks in 69.2 innings.
A former Tigers pitcher, Jack Flaherty, was ranked No. 21. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July.
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