Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal etched his name into MLB history on May 25, delivering a masterclass at Comerica Park.
He recorded a complete-game shutout–under 100 pitches (94)–while fanning 13 batters, tying a career-high and making history as the first pitcher ever to log 13 K’s in a “Maddux.”
“It’s an 11:35 game, he’s throwing 97-99. He’s the best,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
“He’s the best pitcher in baseball, and he showed it today.”
What Is a “Maddux”?
Coined in 2012, a “Maddux” honors pitching legend Greg Maddux and occurs when a pitcher throws a nine-inning shutout while needing fewer than 100 pitches.
It isn’t just a statistical oddity, it’s the embodiment of pitching excellence. Maddux, known for his pinpoint control, recorded 13 career Madduxes, the most by any pitcher since 1988.
Skubal’s 94-pitch gem joins an elite list, and he didn’t just match Maddux’s efficiency–he shattered the strikeout record for a Maddux, topping the previous mark of 12 by the likes of Sandy Koufax, Carlos Carrasco, and Cliff Lee.
“I don’t know what to say because you don’t see it very often,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “When he’s got full intensity and full throttle, the sky is the limit.”
Skubal began in historic fashion, retiring the first 15 batters in order, with no walks and just two hits allowed over nine innings.
After Will Wilson ended the perfect bid with a sixth-inning double, Skubal remained unflappable, limiting Cleveland’s offense to two harmless knock, no free passes, and registering the final out with a 103 mph heater–the hardest pitch by a starter in the ninth since pitch tracking began in 2008.
A Showcase of Pure Stuff
Skubal’s stuff was elite all day. His four-seam and two-seam fastballs sat in the high-90s, but it was his power late that thrilled fans–touching 102.6 mph on that final strikeout, marking the fastest ninth-inning pitch ever from a starter in the pitch-tracking era.
“I’m an emotional player. I feed off of energy in the stadiums,” Skubal said. “When everyone’s on their feet, special things kinda happen when you’re in my shoes.
“I knew it was going to come out hot. I didn’t necessarily know where it was going to go, though.”
He featured a devastating changeup and efficient arsenal that kept hitters off balance, generating a staggering 26 swing-and-misses from just 72 strikes.
From Seattle U to a Historic MLB Breakthrough
Skubal’s dominant outing isn’t just notable for its pitch count or strikeout total, it’s his first career complete game in the majors.
The 28-year-old former Seattle University standout hadn’t gone the distance since his college days, where he notched a pair of seven-inning complete games as a freshman in 2015.
This included a 10–0 shutout of Northern Colorado where he allowed just two hits, two walks, and struck out seven on 101 pitches.
That gap–nearly a decade between full-game outings–underscores both how rare such performances have become in today’s pitch-count era and how exceptionally efficient and dominant this one was.
“It was pretty cool,” Skubal said. “I just thought to myself, ’12-year-old me wouldn’t believe that was an opportunity to have the fan base support you the way it does and be in that moment.’”
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