Tigers' pitcher Tarik Skubal is the bettors' favorite to be a Cy Young Award winner

The Detroit Tigers might have the next Cy Young Award winner on their roster. It sounds crazy to think about it, and the reality of it seems too farfetched, but apparently, the public eye seems to be backing Tarik Skubal and his performance. In a recent tweet, Skubal was listed as one of the favorites for the Cy Young Award.

Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja on X) tweeted out some betting stats for those interested. He noted the favorites for both the American League (AL) and National League Cy Young Award as betted on by the public on FanDuel Sportsbook. It's quite interesting because the AL odds have Tarik Skubal as the frontrunner.

He's not the favorite in terms of odds, holding +1000 odds on FanDuel and +900 odds on DraftKings, but he's apparently pulling a good amount of bets from those interested in futures bets. It's interesting that people are choosing him over some of the other candidates, which certainly says something.

Odds-wise, the favorite is Corbin Burnes after being traded to the Baltimore Orioles this off-season. Skubal is still getting more of the bets. According to the tweet shown above, Skubal leads over Burnes and Gerrit Cole (who will be missing time anyway with his arm injury), among others.

Is Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal headed toward a Cy Young season?

A counterpoint to the excitement is that bettors are also placing a good amount of their money on Alek Manoah, who was pitching in Single-A last year after completely falling apart. So, it could be those seeking value in terms of odds and just who they think might have a chance to upset the actual favorites.

Either way, something should be said about Skubal getting traction as a Cy Young Award candidate. It's good to see him getting noticed by more than just Tigers fans. People are seeing that the lefty has a chance to be special. He's the Tigers ace these days and is looking to prove that he can carve out a tremendous big-league career.

Is it really that out of line to suggest a big year for Tarik Skubal?

Skubal's coming into 2024 with a bit of a chip on his shoulder as well. When the two came up together, he was thought of as the no. 2 behind Casey Mize. Not to mention, he is coming back from injury after undergoing flexor tendon surgery. He pitched in half the year last season, looking back to normal, but now he's aiming to prove it over a full season.

He looked good and pitched with some authority. He pitched in 15 games for Detroit, managing a 2.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 80.1 innings pitched. He walked just 14 and struck out 102 hitters as well. He just needs to prove he can do it the entire summer once again, as he's finally found his footing in the big leagues.

It's not that I'm doubting Skubal. I think he will be great for the team and do a bang-up job for the Tigers as their no. 1 pitcher. I think his stuff is more of a no.2 on a playoff team, but a breakout year going on to win a Cy Young Award could speak volumes.

This spring, he's looked great. Skubal has been sharp. With just 5.0 innings logged against other teams, there are not many stats, but he threw a simulated game to avoid throwing against the Mets, avoiding any tipping of competitive advantage. The point is, he has been "on" this spring, looking the part. It feels like a suggestion like this really is not that crazy after all.

It's March. Who knows what will happen in July? Right now, the public eye is on Skubal as a player who could go out and win a Cy Young Award, which will likely shock many in the process.