Skubal has allowed only two earned runs in his last four starts, totaling 24 innings.Skubal currently ranks first in our 2025 Cy Young power rankings. After everything that Tarik Skubal did last season — leading the American League in ERA, strikeouts and wins, getting the Detroit Tigers back to the postseason for the first time in a decade and, of course, winning the AL Cy Young Award — it’s sometimes hard to not to set unrealistic expectations for the 28-year-old in his sixth MLB season. And so, maybe it was a little disappointing on April 27 at Comerica Park when, six pitches in, Orioles DH Gunnar Henderson was already standing on first base after smoking a 98.4 mph sinker into right field for a one-out single … There goes the no-hitter; might as well start watching the Pistons game … And then Skubal allowed just three more O’s to reach base — all on singles, no walks — over his six innings, while striking out 11 for the fifth time in his career. (If you were sticking with the Pistons all afternoon, well, you can catch up on the game with this report from the Freep’s Jared Ramsey.) All according to plan, or at least according to Skubal’s preferences. “I don’t like walking guys,” Skubal told reporters afterward. “I think I’ve given up 11 singles in the last three games. I’d rather just give up another single, you know, than walk a guy and get him on first base.” That means Skubal is OK with challenging hitters, rather nibbling at the corners. Though, for the record, the Orioles’ four hits came on a high-and-inside sinker on a lefty in the first inning, a low-and-away changeup to a righty in the third, an away changeup to a righty in the fourth and, finally, well, a middle-middle changeup to a righty in the fifth. (Nobody’s perfect.) “… It’s just too easy to walk guys,” Skubal added. “I think my stuff is probably good enough to get guys out, and if they hit it, make them earn their way on base, not just give out free passes.” And it’s that attitude — and the pitching that backs it — that, yeah, sends expectations soaring again. Hello, and welcome back to The Purr-fect Game Newsletter, brought to you by the letters E, R, A and K! Y’see, Skubal has a real shot at joining a truly elite band this season — the Back-to-Back Cy Guys. (OK, OK, as band names go, it’s no “Rolling Stones,” but, hey, these guys are busy chewing gum and whiffing batters, not coming up with band names.) Since the award was first handed out in 1956, just 11 pitchers have won Cy Young awards in consecutive seasons. (Though we’d be remiss not to mention Tigers great Hal Newhouser, who won back-to-back AL MVP awards in 1944-45, before the existence of the Cy Young.) Let’s take a look at what the four most recent Back-to-Back Cy Guys over the past two decades have done in their first six starts of their second CYA campaign: 2008-09: Tim Lincecum, Giants — After posting a 2.62 ERA with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in his 227 innings in 2008, Lincecum came back with a 3.05 ERA and 11.7 K/9 in his first six starts. 2013-14: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers — The left-handed pal of Matthew Stafford ripped through the NL with a 1.83 ERA and an 8.8 K/9 for his second Cy Young (his first came in 2011), then opened the 2014 campaign with an abysmal (for him, at least) 3.57 ERA and an 11.7 K/9 over his first six starts. 2016-17: Max Scherzer, Nationals — The former Tiger’s second season in D.C. brought his first NL Cy Young on a 2.96 ERA and 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. In his first six starts the next year, he put up a 2.66 ERA and an 11.3 K/9 mark. 2018-19: Jacob DeGrom, Mets — His first Cy Young campaign brought a ridiculous 1.70 ERA (the third-lowest in a 162-game season during the wild-card era) and an 11.2 K/9 mark. He followed that up with a 3.82 ERA (ugh) and a 13.4 K/9 rate over his first six starts the next season. So how does Skubal compare? He posted a 2.39 ERA and a 10.7 K/9 last season, then followed that up with some very crooked numbers to start this season. But since giving up seven earned runs in his first two starts, Skubal has allowed just two in four starts — combined — to bring his ERA down to 2.34. His K/9 is still a bit low, though; despite 11 strikeouts in his start against the O’s, he’s only at 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. That’s worse than all four repeat Cy Young winners, though his ERA is better than all four. [ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER? Sign up for a weekly email delivery of The Purr-fect Game, a dose of Tigers news, numbers and analysis for Freep subscribers,here. ] Of course, it’s not enough to match the Cy Young winners of the past — Skubal will also have to top his American League brethren again this season. Where does he stand in the 2025 CYA race? Here’s this here newsletter’s first Cy Young Meow-er … uh … Power Rankings: (All stats entering Monday.) Honorable mention: Shane Baz, Rays The 26-year-old is pitching up to his first-round pedigree (No. 12 overall in 2017), but with a wonky elbow limiting him to just 20 starts over the past three seasons combined, we (and Rays fans) will be holding our breath till he hits at least 100 innings, despite his 11 K/9 that’s fourth in the AL. 10. Tyler Mahle, Rangers He’s the only one of 38 qualified AL starters not to have given up a home run this season. The AL-best 1.14 ERA is impressive, but 13 walks in 31 2/3 innings (and just a 7.4 K/9) suggest the home runs — and more runs in general — are coming for the 30-year-old with just 12 MLB appearances over the previous three seasons. 9. Casey Mize, Tigers While we’re on the topic of unlikely breakouts … the 2018 No. 1 overall pick — who turns 28 on Thursday — is reaping dynamite results from a resurgent slider (two hits in 52 uses) but still isn’t getting a lot of strikeouts, with a measly K/9 ratio of 7. 8. Joe Ryan, Twins His 39 strikeouts and just four walks should mean dominance; instead, the righty has a 3.18 ERA boosted by five homers allowed and a league-high five hit batters. 7. Cole Ragans, Royals Last season’s fourth-place finisher in CYA voting leads the AL in strikeouts (46) and K/9 (13.5). But his 27 hits (and four homers) allowed in 30 2/3 innings have him at an ugly 4.40 ERA. 6. Hunter Brown, Astros The Wayne State (and St. Clair Shores Lakeview) alumnus has been almost unhittable since adding a sinker last May, though his four-seamer — with just two hits (both singles) allowed in 170 uses — has done the heavy lifting for his 1.22 ERA. 5. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers You think Skubal hates walks? This 35-year-old has a ridiculous 12.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio, with just three free passes handed out vs. 38 K’s. 4. Logan Gilbert, Mariners He led the majors in WHIP and innings thrown last season and is second in WHIP (0.791) and K/9 (13.1) this season. If he pitched anywhere but Seattle — or got any runs from the Mariners when he does — he’d be higher on this list. 3. Garrett Crochet, Red Sox Year 1 in Boston? Pretty good already, with 44 strikeouts (third in the AL) and a 1.95 ERA, though his 15 walks and just one homer allowed in 37 innings suggest a soon-to-burst bubble. 2. Max Fried, Yankees The offseason’s big-money signee has been a model of consistency — he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his starts — en route to a shiny 1.43 ERA. Just ask the Tigers, who struck out 11 times against him on April 9 in Detroit. 1. Tarik Skubal, Tigers Unlike last season, Skubal isn’t leading any of the major statistical categories. Then again, his dominance over his past four starts — again, two earned runs, 30 strikeouts and ONE walk in 24 innings -— suggest last season’s Triple Crown winner could be in for another royal recognition. The other advantage of avoiding walks? You don’t have to worry about referees … er, umpires making the right call every time. Right, Pistons fans? Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?)@theford and on BlueSky at @theford.bsky.social.