Detroit Tigers options with Tarik Skubal: Extend, trade, try to win
On “Days of Roar,” Evan Petzold and Chris Brown break down what could happen with the Detroit Tigers and Tarik Skubal in the 2025-26 MLB offseason.
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal has been recognized again on the local stage as the team’s best player for his performance in the 2025 season.
Skubal was named the 2025 Tiger of the Year, as announced Thursday after a vote by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.
He received 20 of 23 first-place votes, claiming the honor for the second year in a row – though not unanimously. This time, Kerry Carpenter, Dillon Dingler and Riley Greene each received one first-place vote.
First baseman Spencer Torkelson won the 2025 Dan Ewald Award, also selected by the beat writers from Detroit chapter of the BBWAA. The honor, named after the Tigers’ former media relations director, recognizes professionalism and cooperation with the media.
Skubal, a two-time All-Star in his six-year MLB career, is expected to be recognized on the national stage Nov. 12 as the American League Cy Young winner, as voted on by 30 BBWAA members, for the second consecutive season.
The 28-year-old registered a 2.21 ERA with 33 walks (4.4% walk rate) and 241 strikeouts (32.2% strikeout rate) across 195â…“ innings in 31 starts in the 2025 season.
His 6.6 fWAR ranked first among MLB pitchers in 2025.
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The Detroit chapter of the BBWAA has selected a Tiger of the Year – essentially a team MVP – in every season since 1965, with a pitcher taking home the award 16 times in 61 years.
Before Skubal in 2024-25, only one other pitcher had earned Tiger of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons: right-hander Denny McLain in 1968-69. (Right-hander Justin Verlander won the award three times, but never in consecutive years.)
Among all players, Skubal is the first back-to-back Tiger of the Year winner since third baseman Jeimer Candelario in 2020-21. Prior to Candelario, the last player to accomplish that feat was first baseman Miguel Cabrera in 2012-13.
Skubal has led the Tigers in overall value for four seasons in a row, producing 2.9 fWAR in 2022, 3.3 fWAR in 2023, 5.9 fWAR in 2024 and 6.6 fWAR in 2025.
Since the start of the 2022 season, Skubal owns a 2.61 ERA with 688 strikeouts across 585â…“ innings in 98 starts. He becomes a free agent after the 2026 season.
Tiger of the Year winners since 2000
2000:Â Bobby Higginson
2001:Â Steve Sparks..
2002:Â Randall Simon.
2003:Â Dmitri Young.
2004:Â Ivan RodrÃguez.
2005: Plácido Polanco.
2006: Carlos Guillén.
2007: Magglio Ordoñez.
2008:Â Miguel Cabrera.
2009:Â Justin Verlander.
2010:Â Miguel Cabrera.
2011:Â Justin Verlander.
2012:Â Miguel Cabrera.
2013:Â Miguel Cabrera.
2014:Â Victor Martinez.
2015:Â J.D. Martinez.
2016:Â Justin Verlander.
2017:Â Justin Upton.
2018:Â Nick Castellanos.
2019:Â Matthew Boyd.
2020:Â Jeimer Candelario.
2021:Â Jeimer Candelario.
2022:Â Riley Greene.
2023:Â Spencer Torkelson.
2024:Â Tarik Skubal.
2025: Tarik Skubal.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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