Tarik Skubal reveals how family competition shaped his career

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal is known for his competitive fire. He recently pitched a complete game, finishing with a 102 mph pitch.

Tarik joined MLB Network to discuss the game, and was also asked about where his competitive nature comes from. The dominant lefthander credited his family for his success at the MLB level.

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"My family, I have four brothers and I'm the second youngest so they beat up on me pretty good growing up and I didn't like losing," Skubal said on Wednesday. "I'm pretty sure my family has a ton of stories they could hopefully not share. If you grow up in a family full of 5 boys, you compete in literally everything. That's probably where it comes from."

That competitive spirit has been on display throughout his career with the Detroit Tigers, but it was more noticeable during his shutout. Skubal also credited the fans and his love of baseball for giving him a boost in his recent start.

"Adrenaline was running pretty high, and obviously the pitch count was low," Skubal said. "I was doing something that I've never done before, which was pitching into the 9th, and you have a shutout going. There is a lot going on when you have 36,000 chanting your name, and you feed off of the emotions of fans and the energy. That's how that pitch happens.

"I like to appreciate everything about this game. You know you work so hard behind the scenes for moments like that. I told myself going out in the 9th that when everyone stands up and they are all chanting like 12-year-old me would never that would be the case. You enjoy everything and you never take anything in this game for granted."

Reds legend compares Tarik Skubal to Paul Skenes

Cincinnati Reds legend Paul Casey has a ton of respect for Tarik Skubal. Casey hosts the "The Mayor's Office" podcast, and spoke about Skubal on the May 21 episode.

“Listen, you face Tarik Skubal, he’s going to embarrass you," Casey said. "You’re going to be embarrassed at some point in the at-bat when he hits you with that changeup. If he gets you, he gets you. He’s got that Skenes, you watch Skubal, you watch Skenes. Those guys are coming for you.”

Skubal and Paul Skenes are two of the best pitchers in baseball, and Casey commended them for their competitiveness.

About the author

Ryan Burks is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience in the field, writing for publications such as Knup Sports. Ryan graduated from Elmhurst College in 2009 with a degree in Communications.

Ryan is a huge Chicago Cubs fan and enjoys their storied history and traditions. His favorite sporting moment was when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, breaking a championship drought that dated back to 1908.

His favorite player was Ken Griffey Jr., as Ryan grew up during his prime and he was the coolest player in league history. Greg Maddux also deserves a mention, as he was truly amazing on the mound.

When not working or watching sports, Ryan coaches basketball and baseball, loves fishing, and spends time with his family.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez