Skubal On Sunday Night Baseball: Lock This Pick In

Yankees vs. Tigers, 7:00 ET

Sometimes ESPN, and us I suppose, get really lucky. What do I mean? Well every now and then we get a spectacular pitching matchup on Sunday Night Baseball. We already know that the only sports going on right now is baseball. There just aren't many other big 4 sports happening - football is rapidly approaching, and we are still a while away from the NBA and NHL returning, but for now, baseball is what we have. So Sunday night turns into the best opportunity to showcase the game and in this one we have the Yankees taking on the Tigers. While this may seem like a dud of a matchup, the pitching is what I really like.

The Yankees are kind of like "must watch" television anyway with their roster. Outside of the Cubs, who are my team, the Yankees are the team that I am most willing to watch because of Aaron Judge. Any time that guy walks to the plate it seems like he is just larger than life and has the potential to do something special. I suppose that shouldn't be much of a stretch or a surprise considering he is doing something special just about any time he steps in the box. He has pretty much already locked up the MVP award for this season and is leading the Yankees toward an AL East crown. Worst case scenario for the Yankees is probably a lower Wild Card spot, but at least they still are in the playoffs at that point. With their hitting and pitching staff, you have to consider this New York club a true threat to win the World Series. Tonight, they have one of my favorite pitchers, Marcus Stroman, taking the ball. Stroman hasn't been elite for the Yankees, but he certainly has been a good value for them. For the year, Stroman is just 8-6 with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. That may not seem great, and the numbers aren't ideal, but he has put together some strong performances as well. In fact, on the road, Stroman is pitching to a 2.83 ERA compared to 5.06 in New York. He faced the Tigers earlier this season and went a strong 5.1 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. His control hasn't been that sharp this season, but overall, I still think Stroman is capable of turning in a top-tier outing. 

May 25, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; An in-camera multiple exposure of New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) motioning to the sky after recording an out during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers were a competitive team for about 50 games. They looked like they would be in the mix to battle for the AL Central, but that quickly faded due to a slump and the emergence of the Guardians, Twins, and Royals success. Still, the Tigers have a chance to a .500 or better team by the end of the season. Right now they are just a few games under and if they can put together a nice winning streak it could give them the breathing room needed as we close out the next 40ish games. The appeal of this game really isn't the Tigers as a team, it is that the AL Cy Young (likely) will be facing the AL MVP (probably) two or three times in the night. Tarik Skubal has been great for the Tigers this year with his 14-4 record, 2.53 ERA, 180 strikeouts, and a 0.92 WHIP. If he puts on a spectacular performance on Sunday Night Baseball it is hard to see anyone taking this award away from him. He'd have to have a truly terrible September to lose it. Skubal has a chance to lead the Majors in all three of those categories and he has the most wins right now. The Yankees do have some reason for optimism tonight, as they are hitting 16-for-65 against Skubal. A lot of that came before he finally put it together as he has this season. In his first game against the Yankees this year, he allowed just two earned runs on six hits in six innings.

To be honest, this won't be an easy game for either pitcher. Skubal is very talented and having a ridiculously good campaign. Judge and Juan Soto continue to drive the Yankees offense, and the Tigers have no one in the lineup that can match even half of their production. Still, Stroman is a guy that the Tigers could potentially get after. I think we need to take a shot here and play the Tigers through five innings. I think Skubal will pitch well enough for us to get the win here. 

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