Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal finished on a high note.

The 26-year-old, who missed the first half of the season while recovering from flexor tendon surgery in his elbow, was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for his five-start performance in September. He is the first Tiger to win the award since Justin Verlander in July 2016.

Skubal posted a 0.90 ERA with four walks and 43 strikeouts in 30 innings.

"He's not just a thrower with stuff, although his stuff is excellent," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Sept. 28, after Skubal's final start. "He's not a primarily fastball guy, even though he throws a lot of fastballs. ... The ability to mentally change the way he is pitching, change his usage or adapt to a game plan is all getting better and better."

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Skubal pitched at the Chicago White Sox (Sept. 3), vs. the White Sox (Sept. 9), at the Los Angeles Angels (Sept. 15), at the Oakland Athletics (Sept. 21) and vs. the Kansas City Royals (Sept. 27). In those five starts, Skubal registered 1.2 walks per nine innings and 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

He had a 10.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and his changeup generated a 56.1% whiff rate.

Skubal, a ninth-round pick in the 2018 draft, tossed four scoreless innings with zero walks and eight strikeouts Sept. 27 against the Royals at Comerica Park. He didn't get to complete his final start because inclement weather suspended the game.

"I'm just healthy," Skubal said. "I'm healthy and I feel good. I feel good after I pitch. I'm able to work on things in between starts. I'm able to work on a lot of things every day in catch to where I feel like I'm getting better every single day, and I haven't been able to do that in the last two years. Some days, I would have to take more time off than other days. I feel fresh, my arm feels good, and I'm confident in what I'm doing."

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In the 2023 season, Skubal logged a 2.80 ERA with 14 walks and 102 strikeouts over 80⅓ innings in 15 starts. He didn't pitch for the Tigers until July 4 after undergoing flexor tendon surgery in August 2022.

Skubal, if he can stay healthy, profiles as an under-the-radar candidate for 2024 AL Cy Young. He owns a 3.87 ERA with 420 strikeouts over 379⅓ innings in his four-year MLB career.

"He's been incredible," Hinch said. "It's been fun to watch him get back up and running. ... He's developing nicely. His mindset is excellent. His body of work is obviously impressive. Now, he has an offseason ahead to prepare for an even better season next year."

San Diego Padres left-hander Blake Snell won National League Pitcher of the Month. The 30-year-old, also in the mix for the NL Cy Young, had a 0.58 ERA with 14 walks and 41 strikeouts over 31 innings in five starts.

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

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal wins AL pitcher award for September