The Battle of the Aces: Morris, Verlander & Skubal — Three Eras, One Debate
Detroit Tigers baseball has always had a signature sound — the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and, in the biggest moments, the unmistakable presence of a true ace walking to the mound. Pitchers have come and gone over the decades, but in three distinct eras, three names not only defined the team — they defined what it meant to dominate from 60 feet, 6 inches:
Jack Morris. Justin Verlander. Tarik Skubal.
Now, before the baseball historians get all lathered up, let’s set things straight. Yes — legends like Denny McLain, Hal Newhouser, and Mickey Lolich absolutely deserve their place in the conversation. But for this debate, we’re zeroing in on the three aces who defined the modern eras of Tigers baseball — the arms most connected to the generations watching Comerica Park and the final decades of Tiger Stadium.
Three pitchers separated by generations, styles, personalities, and the evolution of the sport itself. Yet all three stand on the same pedestal in Tigers history:
the unquestioned No. 1 when everything was on the line.
I’ve been lucky enough to watch all three pitch more than I care ot admit. Yes, I am a baseball junkie, and I could make a compelling case for each pitcher, though I think the toughest case to make is Morris. That said, there was nobody I wanted on the mound more in a big game than Jack Morris.
That could be nostalgia kicking in, and not necessarily common sense. So let’s take a look at each pitcher, and you decide for yourself, “Who’s the Tigers’ Greatest Ace”.
Jack Morris — The Fire of the 1980s
Before analytics, pitch counts, and bullpen committees, baseball had warriors. Jack Morris was one of them.
Drafted in the fifth round out of BYU, Morris wasn’t projected to become a franchise pillar. But by the early 1980s, he had become the face of Detroit’s rotation: intimidating, durable, unyielding. He threw 175 complete games, a stat that might never be approached again.
Morris wasn’t perfect — his 3.90 ERA, highest among Hall of Fame pitchers, remains an analytical flashpoint — but he was the definition of a “big game pitcher.” His no-hitter in 1984 set the tone for a 35–5 start and a championship run. His 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series remains one of the greatest postseason pitching performances in baseball history.
Why Hitters Feared Him
Morris brought a splitter that buckled knees and a mentality that broke spirits. He led MLB in wins for the entire decade and threw more complete games than most modern rotations combined. And if Sparky Anderson walked toward the mound? Morris wasn’t afraid to tell him to turn around.
The Defining Moment
- 1984
A no-hitter in April. Two complete-game wins in the World Series. A championship.
Morris didn’t pitch with the bullpen — he pitched instead of it.
What teammates said:
“He was the guy you followed into the fight,” former pitching coach Roger Craig once told Danny Knobler. “There are Opening Day pitchers — and pitchers who start Opening Day. Morris was the former.”
A workhorse. A warrior. A winner.
Career Résumé
- 254–186, 3.90 ERA, 2,478 K, 3824 IP, 43.5 WAR
- Hall of Fame (2018)
- 5× All-Star
- 3× World Series Champion
- 1984 Tigers legend
Justin Verlander — The Power of a New Era
If Morris represented grit, Justin Verlander represented dominance.
When Verlander arrived in the mid-2000s, the Tigers were climbing out of the ashes of a 43-win season. Verlander delivered something fans hadn’t seen since the 1980s: an ace with electricity in every pitch. He threw 101 mph in the late innings. He chased no-hitters the way some pitchers chased groundballs.
From his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2006 to his legendary 2011 MVP season — a Triple Crown year with 24 wins, a 2.40 ERA, and 250 strikeouts — Verlander fundamentally shifted what Detroit expected from its ace.
Across his career, now spanning 270 wins, 3,690 strikeouts, three Cy Young Awards, and three no-hitters, Verlander built a résumé that places him among the greatest pitchers of his generation.
But even Verlander had vulnerabilities — age, workload, and injuries that caught him late in his career. His 2025 season in San Francisco was admirable but human: a 4–11 record, 3.85 ERA, and signs that time eventually finds everyone.
What teammates said:
“JV wasn’t just our ace — he set the entire standard for how we played,” Miguel Cabrera once remarked.
“And when he pitched, you expected to win.”
Career Résumé (2025 Updated)
- 266–158, 3.32 ERA, 3,553 K, 3,567.2 IP, 81.7 WAR
- 3× Cy Young
- 9× All-Star
- 2× World Series Champion
- 3 career no-hitters
- AL Rookie of the Year
- ALCS MVP
Tarik Skubal — The Modern Mastery
Enter the ace of today — and possibly tomorrow’s legend.
Tarik Skubal’s story feels almost fictional. One Division I offer. Ninth-round draft pick. Tommy John surgery. A kid who dominated the minors but carried question marks before his arrival.
Those questions evaporated.
From 2024–2025, Skubal put together one of the most commanding back-to-back seasons in Tigers history:
- Career Résumé (through 2025)
- 54–37, 3.08 ERA, 889 K, 766.2 IP, 17.9 WAR
- 2× Cy Young (2024, 2025)
- Triple Crown (2024)
- ERA titles (2024, 2025)
- Strikeout title (2024)
- WHIP leader (2025)
A left-handed powerhouse with high-90s velocity, surgical command, and one of the best changeups in baseball, Skubal represents the evolution of pitching: data-driven mechanics, modern velocity training, and efficiency over brute endurance.
But concerns remain — he has a past arm injury, and the Tigers rely heavily on him in an era where depth is essential. His greatness, however, is undeniable.
What Skubal said about his climb:
“You need to be a little uncomfortable to grow.”
And grow he has.
Strengths, Flaws & Legacies — A Balanced View
Morris had grit, durability, and a championship pedigree — but also a high ERA and postseason inconsistency outside his most significant moments.
Verlander had historic dominance — but age, injuries, and the grind of 20 years have reshaped his late-career performance. Should we add that he married Kate Upton—does that put him over the edge?
Skubal has elite modern metrics and the best pure ERA of the group — but he is still writing his story, and long-term durability is yet to be tested. One criticism is that Skubal doesn’t go deep into games, but is he a victim of modern baseball, or is there fear that he’ll wear out an already repaired arm?
Three pitchers. Three stories. Three ways to define greatness.
So Who’s the Tigers’ Greatest Ace?
The truth is, greatness evolves.
Morris was the perfect ace for the ’80s: physical, fierce, and unbreakable.
Verlander was the perfect ace for the 2000s–2010s: overpowering, elite, and generational.
Skubal is the perfect ace for today: efficient, explosive, and analytically flawless.
The Tigers have been lucky — many franchises never get one pitcher like this. Detroit got three in 40 years.
Your Turn: Who’s the Tigers’ Ace of Aces?
Now it’s your choice.
Are you Team Morris? Team Verlander? Team Skubal?
Or, have you been around long enough to say the crown belongs to a legend from even earlier?
Drop your answer in the comments on MittenSportsTalk.com.
Share your memories, your arguments, your stats, your stories.
This isn’t just a debate — it’s a celebration of what Detroit baseball does best:
produce aces who define generations.
Join the conversation in the Tigers Den — where fans break down every game, every angle.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
