Corbin Burnes — not Tarik Skubal — to start 2024 MLB All-Star Game for AL
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is 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 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.
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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 at Globe Life Field.
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.
"Paul is everything right about this game," Lovullo told reporters Monday in Arlington. "I just wanted to make sure that the world got a chance to see him."
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As for the AL, Burnes — like Skenes in the NL — is one of the most popular pitches, 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 MLB pitchers on the ERA leaderboard.
Burnes, a four-time All-Star, won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. Skubal, who is the frontrunner to win the 2024 AL Cy Young Award, is making his first All-Star appearance.
It's official: Corbin Burnes — not Tarik Skubal — is starting the 2024 All-Star Game for the American League, selected by AL manager Bruce Bochy. pic.twitter.com/BWGNRrMtnJ
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 15, 2024
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal snubbed as AL All-Star Game starting pitcher
