Two Future Hall of Famers Highlight Detroit Tigers Pitching Mount Rushmore
The Detroit Tigers starting pitching Mount Rushmore is led by two future Hall of Famers; who else joined them?
Kenneth Teape | 8 Hours Ago
October 10, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (37, left) and starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35, right) stand in the dugout during the ninth inning in game five of the American League divisional series playoff baseball game against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum. The Tigers defeated the Athletics 3-0. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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The Detroit Tigers have the luxury of having a true, bonafide ace atop their pitching staff.
Tarik Skubal, who is the favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award in 2024, is the kind of pitcher who owners and front offices around baseball dream of having.
No matter the situation, he has shown time and time again that he will get the job done. This season, he made the first of what will likely be several All-Star game appearances.
Skubal is currently leading the NL in wins (14), winning percentage (.778), ERA (2.49), strikeouts (185), ERA+ (169) and FIP (2.66). He has been dominant and earned his ranking as the No. 1 ace in baseball this season.
But, where does Skubal rank among the best starting pitchers the Tigers have had since 1990?
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report put together a Mount Rushmore of starters for every franchise since that year.
On that list for Detroit, Skubal comes in at No. 3.
He has emerged as a true star this season and should be atop this rotation for years to come. The decision to hold onto him through the 2024 deadline should be a sign to fans that ownership is ready to compete sooner rather than later.
Who landed ahead of him on the Mount Rushmore?
Coming in at No. 1 is none other than Justin Verlander. Longevity certainly helped in his case, as he was with the franchise for 13 seasons and is in the running as the best player to ever suit up for the Tigers.
He was incredible during that stretch, a perennial All-Star and Cy Young award candidate. Verlander took home the award, and MVP, for his performance in 2021.
Following him at No. 2 on the list is another Cy Young award winner with Detroit, Max Scherzer. He took home the award as the top pitcher in the American League in 2013, and did his damage in five seasons.
Both Verlander and Scherzer are locks for the Hall of Fame once they call it a career. Skubal has a long way to go but looks to be on that trajectory as well.
While not in the Hall of Fame, the No. 4 pitcher on the list, Rick Porcello, had a good career in the Motor City. He was a very good middle-of-the-rotation pitcher for Detroit, providing depth behind Verlander and Scherzer during his six seasons with the team.
It doesn’t count toward his recognition for this spot, but Porcello did also win a Cy Young award in 2016 with the Boston Red Sox.
Porcello beat out Doug Fister, Jeremy Bonderman, Anibal Sanchez and Justin Thompson for the final spot behind the two legends and a star in the making.
