Detroit Tigers ace increasingly closer to becoming part of Major League history

While every MLB team wants to make the playoffs, it was always very difficult for the Detroit Tigers to earn a spot in the postseason.

A couple of years into their rebuilding process, the writing was on the wall after the trade deadline that they were going to be watching the playoffs in the fall, once again, rather than participating in them.

But after the Tigers decided to put it all in the hands of their young players and started calling up their star prospects, they played their best baseball of the season and suddenly find themselves just 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.

With a record of 7-3 in its last 10 games entering Wednesday, and 18-12 since the start of August, Detroit could steal a playoff spot if it can maintain this level of play and take advantage of the Kansas City Royals’ slump.

One man who will give them energy every time he gets the ball is their ace Tarik Skubal.

After having an incredible year in which he appears to be inching closer to winning his first career Cy Young Award, suddenly that’s not the biggest story surrounding the Tigers heading into the season’s final stretch.

However, it should be noted that Skubal could be a big part of Major League history if he continues to pitch the way he has this season.

Skubal has not only been dominant, but he has a chance to etch his name into the history books even if Chris Sale fails to win the National League Triple Crown.

There have only been 17 American League pitchers to win the Triple Crown, the most recent being Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Before that, it was another Detroit pitcher, Justin Verlander, who accomplished this rare feat in 2011, when he won the Cy Young Award and MVP in the same year.

While Skubal won’t be able to duplicate that due to the incredible season being put together by New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, there’s a strong chance he’ll take home the coveted award and etch his own name into the history books as a Triple Crown winner.

And if Sale can maintain control of those categories in the National League, then both men will have accomplished something never before seen in Major League Baseball.