Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal has been a better pitcher than Corbin Burnes in the 2024 season.

The numbers don't lie.

But Skubal, the ace of the Tigers, isn't starting Tuesday for the American League in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Bruce Bochy, the AL manager, selected Burnes — not Skubal — as the starting pitcher.

The Midsummer Classic begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday, with Skubal available to pitch out of the bullpen.

"I think you have to look at his résumé, what he's done in baseball," Bochy told reporters Monday in Arlington, when asked about his decision to start Burnes. "He's had an incredible career. This is his fourth consecutive All-Star Game. What he's done this year in Baltimore, they're leading their division. He's a big reason for that. In my mind, it's just his time. It's his time to start an All-Star Game. That's why I chose him."

TRENDING: Should the Detroit Tigers trade Tarik Skubal or extend him with Riley Greene?

Burnes, a right-hander from the Baltimore Orioles, will take the mound for a matchup with National League starter Paul Skenes, a rookie right-hander from the Pittsburgh Pirates, to open the All-Star Game. NL manager Torey Lovullo picked Skenes, who has 1.90 ERA in 11 starts, over Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale, who has a 2.70 ERA in 18 starts.

"For me, it was consistently a no-brainer," Lovullo told reporters Monday in Arlington. "I wanted to hit the sweet spot and hit it right. I wanted to be situationally aware of some of the other great arms that were possibilities. Paul is everything right about this game. You mentioned youthfulness. He just got drafted. Youthfulness of the All-Star Game. Just his ability to balance what he's had to go through over the past year has been amazing. He does it with humility. He does it very, very well."

As for the AL, Burnes — like Skenes in the NL — is one of the most popular pitchers in baseball, but Skubal deserved to be the starter based on his season-long performance.

Skubal, 27, has a 2.41 ERA with 21 walks and 140 strikeouts across 116 innings in 19 starts in his fifth season. Burnes, 29, has a 2.43 ERA with 25 walks and 110 strikeouts across 118⅔ innings in 19 starts in his seventh season.

Skubal ranks No. 1 among all qualified AL pitchers on the ERA leaderboard.

A.J. HINCH'S CALL: Should Tarik Skubal start All-Star Game? A.J. Hinch calls AL's Bruce Bochy to make case

Burnes, a four-time All-Star, won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. Skubal, a former ninth-round draft pick who is the frontrunner to win the 2024 AL Cy Young Award, is making his first All-Star appearance.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal snubbed as AL All-Star Game starting pitcher