Drew Smyly: Detroit Tigers' Biggest Early-Season Surprise

22-year-old rookie pitcher Drew Smyly earned his first career major league win against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium on Saturday.

Smyly, Detroit's No. 5 starter, who made his major league debut April 12, leads the American League with a 1.23 ERA through four starts.

The Tigers have gotten off to a disappointing 11-10 record this season, but without the rookie, who wasn't even expected to make the team going into spring training, Detroit would be in a world of hurt.

Smyly has started on the mound in three of the Tigers' 11 wins, and stabilized the back end of a rotation that has been rocky, at best, through 21 games.

In 22 innings, Smyly has given up just 18 hits and three earned runs. He's struck out 22 batters, and walked just six.

The Tigers were unanimous preseason favorites to run away with the AL Central Division, but they've been anemic offensively and went into Saturday's game against the Yankees struggling through a five-game losing streak.

Smyly, who until this season had never played a game above the Double-A level, hasn't been afraid of the moment.

Saturday, in Yankee Stadium, the biggest stage in baseball, Smyly barely batted an eyelash at the spotlight. 

In The Tigers' 7-5 win, Smyly pitched six-plus innings, and gave up just one earned run. He struck out seven batters, including Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez two times apiece, and became the first Tigers rookie left-hander to win a game in Yankee Stadium since Billy Hoeft.

Smyly was announced as the fifth starter in the rotation on April 1, and has support from manager Jim Leyland.

"I took the guy that I thought he had good stuff, a good delivery and threw strikes,” Leyland told reporters after announcing Smyly would make the team. “How that plays up here, we'll wait and see. That usually plays pretty good anywhere." 

After four starts, Smyly appears to be the right guy for the job.

He caught the attention of the Tigers coaching staff because of his ability to pound the strike zone and his calm demeanor. 

Saturday's win proved Smyly's ability in both aspects.

Smyly's parents were in attendance at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, watching their son get his first major league win, and Smyly said it's been a storybook beginning to his career.

"When you're a kid that's what you dream of, pitching in Yankee Stadium, and then let alone just to get my first win there, and my parents being here to witness it," Smyly said to Fox Sports Detroit's Trevor Thompson after the game. "I mean you can't write it up much better, so I think we're all pretty excited.

But even bigger than personal achievement, Smyly has kept the Tigers' heads above water.

"It just feels good. The team needed it big-time," he said.

If Smyly continues to pitch the way he has in his first four MLB appearances, The Tigers will have a much better chance to do what everyone expected them to do coming into this season: Defend their AL Central title, and make back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time since 1935.