On May 10, 2025, before the Detroit Tigers took the field at Comerica Park, the organization paused to honor two of its brightest stars: rookie second baseman Colt Keith and ace pitcher Tarik Skubal. In a pregame ceremony, Keith was presented with the 2024 Detroit Sports Media Association (DSMA) Tigers Rookie of the Year Award, while Skubal received the Baseball Digest 2024 MLB Pitcher of the Year and the BBWAA Tiger of the Year Award. The moment, shared via a Detroit Tigers PR post on X, was a proud one for fans, spotlighting the team’s young talent and veteran leadership.
Colt Keith’s recognition as the 2024 Tigers Rookie of the Year caps an impressive debut season that flew under the radar nationally but stood out in Detroit. The 22-year-old infielder, who signed a six-year, $28.6 million extension before ever playing a big-league game, battled early struggles to finish with a .260 batting average, 13 home runs, and 61 RBIs across 148 games. His steady defense at second base and clutch hitting down the stretch—especially in the Tigers’ improbable playoff push—earned him the nod over a crowded field of rookies, including outfielders Parker Meadows and Wenceel Pérez, and pitchers Keider Montero and Brant Hurter. Keith became the first full-time second baseman to win the award since Lou Whitaker in 1978, a nod to his potential as a cornerstone for the franchise. As
@DetroitTigers tweeted, “Have a year, rook,” capturing the excitement around Keith’s future.
Tarik Skubal’s awards, meanwhile, cement his place among baseball’s elite. The Baseball Digest 2024 MLB Pitcher of the Year award recognized his AL Triple Crown season, where he led the league with 18 wins, a 2.39 ERA, and 228 strikeouts over 192 innings. Skubal, who also earned a unanimous AL Cy Young Award, was the backbone of Detroit’s rotation, delivering every fifth day while the team leaned on creative bullpen strategies. His BBWAA Tiger of the Year Award, voted unanimously by the Detroit chapter with all 22 first-place votes, marks him as the first pitcher to claim the honor since Matthew Boyd in 2019 and the first unanimous winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Fans on X, like
@s_blandino, have been vocal about his dominance, noting his “surgical” 2.21 ERA and 30% strikeout rate early in 2025.
The ceremony wasn’t just about hardware—it was a statement about the Tigers’ trajectory. Keith represents the young core driving Detroit’s resurgence, while Skubal, at 28, is the ace leading the charge. The team’s 23-13 start to 2025, bolstered by Skubal’s mound mastery and Keith’s growing presence, has fans dreaming of a deep October run. As manager A.J. Hinch said in an MLB.com interview, “These guys are the heart of what we’re building.” For Tigers faithful, watching Keith and Skubal accept their awards was a reminder: the future is now, and Detroit is back in the conversation.
