Skubal sparks Tigers’ rise from the depths

- By Bruce Penton

July 10, 2025

key points from this story:

• Detroit Tigers first to 50 wins
• Tarik Skubal leads with stellar pitching
• Yankees' Aaron Judge favored for MVP
• Dodgers not guaranteed World Series spot
• Cal Raleigh hits 35 homers in 87 games
• Blue Jays contend for AL first place

While Toronto Blue Jays are needed having an unexpectedly great season, baseball fans in general are enjoying a terrific season on a number of fronts as Major League Baseball passes its halfway mark. Trying to project a World Series winner in July is a fool’s game, but it was hardly in doubt back in April when most of the game’s followers were declaring the Los Angeles Dodgers to be a repeat winner of the October (that runs into November) Classic. And why not? The Dodgers dominated the 2024 season and returned with almost the same powerful lineup but with one key addition: Slugger Shohei Ohtani was returning to the mound. The Dodgers in a cakewalk, right?

Not so fast. The first team to get to 50 victories this year was somewhat of a surprise: The Detroit Tigers, who grabbed a wildcard playoff berth last year after languishing at or near the basement of the American League Central for nearly a decade. As the calendar flipped from June to July, the Tigers and Dodgers had identical records atop MLB’s 32 teams. Leading the way for the Tigers is arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Tarik Skubal, who won the AL’s triple crown of pitching last year (wins, ERA, strikeouts). He’s back at it again this year, with a 10-2 record, 2.13 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 109 innings.