Updating Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet’s Cy Young Chances Vs. Tigers’ Tarik Skubal

And down the stretch they come! The race for the American League Cy Young Award is a two-man race between a pair of left-handed aces: Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet and Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal.

In MLB.com’s latest starting pitcher power rankings, Skubal is listed as the top arm in baseball. Crochet comes in at No. 4 overall and No. 2 in the AL.

“Crochet is the one pitcher who has a chance to catch Skubal in the AL Cy Young race down the stretch,” MLB.com’s David Adler wrote Thursday. “The Red Sox lefty leads the Majors with 228 strikeouts and 185 1/3 innings pitched and ranks fourth with a 2.57 ERA, behind only Skenes, Skubal and Hunter Brown. Crochet just recorded his seventh 10-strikeout game of the season; only Skubal (10) has more.”

While predicting all of MLB’s postseason awards, ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle noted “Skubal has the edge in all of the bottom-line metrics. … The race is clearly Skubal’s to lose, but he needs to keep doing what he’s doing, because the margins are close enough for Crochet to overtake him. For both hurlers, every start from here on out is crucial.”

Red Sox Nation won’t like Doolittle’s final pick: “Skubal should hold on, if only because he has shown zero evidence of slowing down his epic pace. Unless Skubal struggles, there seems to be no opening for Crochet to squeeze through, no matter how well he pitches.”

So how do the numbers match up?

• Wins: Crochet, 15 (t-3rd); Skubal, 13 (t-5th)

• ERA: Skubal, 2.10 (1st); Crochet, 2.57 (3rd)

• Strikeouts: Crochet, 228 (1st); Skubal, 222 (2nd)

• Innings: Crochet, 185.1 (1st); Skubal, 180.0 (2nd)

• K/9: Crochet, 11.1 (t-1st); Skubal, 11.1 (t-1st)

• WHIP: Skubal, 0.86 (1st); Crochet, 1.05 (7th)

• WAR: Skubal, 6.5 (1st); Crochet, 5.6 (3rd)

• Quality starts: Skubal, 19 (t-2nd); Crochet, 19 (t-2nd)

Skubal is scheduled to return to the mound Friday when the Tigers open a three-games series with the Marlins in Miami.

Crochet is lined up to face the Yankees Sunday at Fenway Park in the finale of a three-game series with New York.

The 26-year-old Crochet is trying to become the first Red Sox pitcher to win the Cy Young Award since Rick Porcello in 2016.