Judge calls Tigers' Skubal 'best pitcher in the game right now'

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge had high praise for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal following Sunday's Little League Classic.

"He's the best pitcher in the game right now. … When he came back last year at the end of the year, he hit a different gear, a different level," Judge said, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi. "It's not fun facing a guy like that, but it's fun competing against the best."

The AL MVP favorite singled off Skubal in the top of the fourth inning, but the Tigers ace managed to strike Judge out in the first and induce him into a double play in the sixth.

Skubal held the Yankees to one run over six innings with five strikeouts as he continues to build a strong case to win his first Cy Young. The 27-year-old leads the American League in ERA (2.49) and strikeouts (185), and he's second in WHIP (0.93) this season.