Tigers' Tarik Skubal just passed his biggest hurdle to an All-Star Game start

With Casey Mize's reported addition to the All-Star Game roster, the Tigers are now sending six representatives to top the Dodgers for the most players heading to Atlanta. Riley Greene, Javy Báez, and Gleyber Torres are assured starts in left field, center, and second base, Zach McKinstry will factor in at some point in the infield, and Tarik Skubal is the obvious choice to start the game for the first time in his career.

He should've already gotten that honor last season, but AL manager Bruce Bochy gave it to Corbin Burnes, who had never gotten a start, even in his Cy Young-winning season.

The only person who could've plausibly stood in Skubal's way this season was Max Fried. This year's AL All-Star manager Aaron Boone could've chosen his own ace over Skubal, and Fried's had an admirable year in his own right.

But Fried just bowed out for unspecified reasons (probably because they Yankees don't want to risk their best pitcher) and was replaced by another Yankee in Carlos Rodón. Rodón's also had a decent season, but there's no way that Boone could justify choosing a replacement pitcher to start over Skubal.

Max Fried being replaced in All-Star Game makes Tigers' Tarik Skubal the obvious choice to start

The AL's pitching staff is absolutely loaded with guys like Skubal, Kris Bubic, and Bryan Woo, but a host of replacements have already been announced. Rodón is stepping in for Fried, Casey Mize is stepping in for Garrett Crochet, reliever Carlos Estévez is replacing Jacob deGrom, and Hunter Brown has given way to Joe Ryan. Brown, Bubic, and Woo all have sub-3.00 ERAs, but no one is touching Skubal's 2.02 ERA and only Crochet tops him in strikeouts in the AL.

With deGrom out, there aren't any candidates for the "It's his time to start the All-Star Game" sentimental pick. Yusei Kikuchi is the oldest pitcher on the AL's roster, but no one has ever argued that he's been disrespected by being passed over for the start.

Skubal was always the obvious choice, but now there's no one who would be even remotely acceptable for Boone to opt for instead. He's in the midst of an even better season than his Cy Young-winning campaign and might even be involved in MVP conversations toward the end of the season. An All-Star start would kind of pale in comparison to that, but it's the least that Skubal deserves this year.