In a recent survey of 135 anonymous players across 21 teams by The Athletic, Skubal’s game received plenty of praise. “He’s nasty for everybody,” one player said of the lefty. “Everything’s really hard, his changeup’s really good. Hard to pick up. Everything’s kind of funky coming out of all of the stuff he does.”

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has left no doubt he's the best starting pitcher in the National League. While not getting an ounce of help from his teammates, Skenes has put up remarkable numbers when he's been on the bump. So far this season, the 23-year-old righty is 4–6 with a 1.88 ERA.

The interaction was clearly tongue-in-cheek, but it spotlighted the inevitable negotiations ahead for the Tigers ace.

That also means there's a foundation of what could be a great Cy Young case already in place, but there's also plenty of time for things to change, whether it's someone who doesn't appear to be a factor getting hot (Jake Arrieta's 2015 run of insanity started on June 21) or someone who looks to be in the race either falling apart or suffering an injury.

Bet on Tarik Skubal to rack in a win for today's MLB pick, odds, and expert prediction for Tigers vs. Orioles on Thursday, June 12.

BALTIMORE—Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal is everything you can ask for in a starting pitcher, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday night at Camden Yards. What’s so special about the 28-year-old Skubal?

As the baseball season sprints towards summer, the favorites for the Cy Young Award are starting to distance themselves from the field -- at least, that's the case in MLB.com's latest Cy Young Award poll.