Tigers left-hander fuels Cy Young hype with brilliant spring debut

Detroit Tigers left-handed ace Tarik Skubal added to his growing preseason Cy Young hype with a razor-sharp performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates in spring training Wednesday. 

Skubal's pitches maxed out at 99.6 miles per hour, according to Detroit Free Press beat writer Evan Petzold. 

The 6-foot-3, 240 pound Skubal has battled injuries throughout his career but appears poised for a breakout season with manager A.J. Hinch's team in 2024.

Skubal went two innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up no hits and one walk while striking out two batters. He threw 29 pitches, 19 of them for strikes, and only four of his pitches were put into play. None of those exceeded an exit velocity of 100 miles per hour. 

"When these guys only have two innings, especially starters, it's hard to work on anything but conditioning," manager A.J. Hinch said, per the Detroit Free Press.  "But Tarik did a good job of mixing pitches — changeups, sliders and fastballs. It was a good day for him."

Video of Skubal's performance shows a calm and composed starting pitcher with a smooth delivery and elite velocity.