Tigers fans about to go to war with Guardians fans over AL Cy Young finalist reveal

A season-long rivalry between division foes came to a head this week as Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Cleveland Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase were both named finalists for the American League Cy Young Award.

With all due respect to the third finalist, Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals, this has long been considered to be a two-man race. If we're being honest, though, it shouldn't be a race at all. This award belongs to Skubal.

In his first full season since 2021, the southpaw pitched to an AL-best 2.39 ERA and 2.49 FIP. He also won the AL Triple Crown, leading his league in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228). Skubal just barely missed winning the Triple Crown for both leagues, with Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale finishing with a 2.38 ERA.

Clase was undoubtedly the most dominant closer in baseball this season, posting a 0.61 ERA over 74 1/3 innings and racking up 47 saves on the year. His impressive 2024 campaign with Cleveland has made him the first relief pitcher to finish in the top three in Cy Young Award voting since Francisco Rodríguez did so in 2008 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal deserves to win AL Cy Young Award by a landslide over Guardians' Emmanuel Clase

Indeed, Clase had a fantastic season and contributed in a big way to Cleveland's success. But what he did in relief pales in comparison to what Skubal did as a starter – the only true starter, for that matter – on a Tigers team that defied the odds this year and became a playoff team. It's difficult to compare starters and relievers, but Skubal's 30.3% strikeout rate beat Clase's at 24.4%, and Clase only recorded more than three outs in one of his 74 appearances this season. Overall, Skubal has been the more dominant pitcher over a greater sample size.

Tensions are already high between the Tigers and their AL Central rivals in Cleveland, particularly after the latter eliminated the former from the playoffs this year. Cleveland fans may have gotten the satisfaction of watching Skubal's season come to an end at the hands of Lane Thomas and the Guardians in Game 5 of the ALDS, but Tigers fans will get the last laugh.

Skubal should win the AL Cy Young Award, and it shouldn't be close. And when it happens, Guardians fans can finally take a seat.

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