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Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet, top MLB pitchers, are injured, highlighting the fragility of elite starting pitchers. Their injuries raise concerns about the risks of investing heavily in starting pitching.
There’s a harsh reality in today’s Major League Baseball: Elite starting pitching is as valuable as ever—but also more fragile than ever. And the latest injuries to Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet are only reinforcing a growing concern across MLB. The two aces have both gone down with injuries this season, and it is raising big-time questions.
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Skubal and Crochet weren’t just good in 2025—they were the standard. They finished first and second in AL Cy Young voting, entering the 2026 MLB season as the clear favorites to battle for the award again.
Now? Both are dealing with injuries.
For Skubal, a potential third straight Cy Young season is likely off the table. For teams around the league, the bigger takeaway is even more important.
This isn’t just about two players. It’s about a pattern. MLB front offices continue to hand out massive contracts to starting pitchers, betting on sustained dominance. But time and time again, the same issue arises: Durability.
Pitchers today:
And the human body simply isn’t built for that level of repeated stress. It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when. Elbows give out. Shoulders flare up. Velocity takes its toll.
The article does not specify the exact injuries, but it mentions that both pitchers are currently dealing with injuries.
Their injuries underscore the increasing fragility of elite starting pitchers, raising concerns about the financial risks associated with paying high salaries for them.
Both pitchers were top performers, finishing first and second in AL Cy Young voting in 2025 and were favorites for the award in 2026.

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Even when pitchers return, they’re often:
That makes long-term, high-dollar deals incredibly risky.
Conclusion
From a team-building perspective, the math becomes difficult to justify.
Why commit:
To a player whose role is inherently volatile? One injury can:
Garrett Crochet — Strikeouts (Ks)
MLB teams may need to rethink how they value pitching. Instead of investing heavily in one arm, the smarter approach might be:
Because relying on one ace to carry a staff is becoming increasingly dangerous. Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet are elite talents. But their situations highlight a larger truth about modern baseball:
Paying big money for starting pitchers is a gamble—and more often than not, it doesn’t fully pay off. Because in today’s game, dominance comes at a cost. And eventually, the body collects.