Tarik Skubal Fantasy Stats

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal could continue pitching with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic tournament. The original plan was for Skubal to pitch against Great Britain and then return to the Tigers camp. After Saturday's start, Skubal expressed interest in continuing to pitch with Team USA after feeling great emotion when pitching for his home country. Skubal would need approval from both his agent and the Tigers organization to continue playing in the WBC. It would be a huge boost for Team USA if the superstar southpaw is allowed to continue pitching with the team.

Detroit Tigers two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is expected to throw around 55 pitches for Team USA against Team Great Britain in the second game of the World Baseball Classic before returning to Lakeland, Fla., to rejoin the Tigers in camp, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. Skubal is coming off another heavy workload last year, so he'll only pitch in one game in the WBC before heading back to spring training. The 29-year-old left-hander will be the No. 1 pitcher off the board in fantasy drafts after a second straight dominant year as the Tigers' ace, going 13-6 with a league-best 2.21 ERA and league-best 0.89 WHIP with 241 strikeouts and only 33 walks in 195 1/3 innings over 31 regular-season starts. He picked up where he left off in his first Grapefruit League start against the Twins, in which he allowed two hits over two scoreless innings while striking out four.

Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal confirmed on Monday that he will only make one start for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Skubal has been the best pitcher in baseball the last two years, winning back-to-back American League Cy Young awards while going a combined 31-10 with a 2.30 ERA (2.47 FIP), 0.91 WHIP, 469 strikeouts, and only 68 walks in 387 1/3 innings over 62 regular-season starts. He threw 216 innings last year between the regular season and playoffs, so he won't be pushed in the WBC or in spring training. Skubal is the top fantasy starting pitcher and will be a must-start in his first start of the regular season in 2026 in San Diego against the San Diego Padres in late March.

Detroit Tigers left-hander and two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal won his salary arbitration case on Thursday against the team and will make $32 million in 2026, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. Skubal will make $13 million more than the Tigers argued for, and the most any player has ever taken home in arbitration. The 29-year-old dominant left-hander has been the most dominant pitcher in baseball the last two seasons, going 31-10 with a 2.30 ERA (2.47 FIP) and 0.91 WHIP with 469 strikeouts and only 68 walks in 387 1/3 innings pitched over his 62 regular-season starts. He was even better in 2025, posting a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 241:33 K:BB over his 31 starts. Skubal will be the first pitcher off the board in the first round of 2026 fantasy baseball drafts, without a question.

According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, a trade involving Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal remains slim in the final stages of the offseason. Skubal, who is in the final year of his contract, has had his name in many trade discussions this winter. However, Detroit's asking price has been quite high, and no suitor has matched it. According to reports, the Tigers asked the New York Mets for five of their top prospects in return for the left-hander. The Mets would then pivot to acquire Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta for only two of their top prospects. Skubal has won the AL Cy Young in back-to-back seasons and remains an elite SP1 for all fantasy formats heading into 2026. Last summer, Skubal posted a dominant 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, with a 241:33 K:BB across 195 1/3 innings.

The New York Post's Joel Sherman writes that the New York Mets got indications that Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal might have cost them their "five best prospects" in a trade. New York's five best prospects were Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat before they traded Williams and Sproat to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for right-hander Freddy Peralta this week. The Tigers have a sky-high asking price for Skubal, who won his second straight American League Cy Young award in 2025 after setting career highs in ERA (2.21), WHIP (0.89), strikeouts (241), and innings pitched (195 1/3). The 29-year-old southpaw is the most dominant starting pitcher in the game right now, and although he'll be a free agent after the 2026 season, it appears Detroit will hang onto him for now.

The Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal did not reach an agreement on a contract on Thursday and may be headed to salary arbitration, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press confirmed that the two sides are expected to go to court, and that will become official at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday. Skubal is coming off back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards, and in 2025, he posted a 2.72 ERA (2.71 SIERA) with a career-high 241 strikeouts and a 0.89 WHIP across 195 1/3 innings. Despite offseason trade rumors suggesting the Tigers were willing to listen to offers, Skubal appears set to open the 2026 season in Detroit. Barring injury, he remains poised for another elite fantasy season and will most likely be the first pitcher drafted in all fantasy leagues.

Detroit Tigers left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal announced on X Thursday afternoon that he will join Team USA in the World Baseball Classic in 2026. Skubal is coming off another Cy Young season, and now he will demonstrate his dominance on the world stage. Last year, the 29-year-old pitched to a 2.21 ERA (2.72 xERA) with a 32.2 K-BB% and a 0.89 WHIP across a career-high 195 1/3 innings. Skubal joins National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes to create the best 1-2 punch the world has ever seen. Team USA's first game is on March 6 at 8 p.m. EST against Brazil.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports that the Detroit Tigers "surprised teams by engaging in serious talks" around the possibility of trading starting pitcher Tarik Skubal at the winter meetings this week. Nightengale goes on to predict that Detroit will hang on to Skubal, but it's still noteworthy that the team is apparently willing to listen to offers for its star pitcher. The 29-year-old has won back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards. Across 195 1/3 innings (31 starts) in 2025, Skubal pitched to a 13-6 record with a 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 241 strikeouts. While the Tigers presumably expect to contend, Skubal can be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season. If the team is unwilling to shell out a monster contract, it could decide that getting a trade return for Skubal is better than watching him leave for nothing.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman said that the idea of the Detroit Tigers trading left-hander Tarik Skubal is "doubtful." The Tigers offered Skubal less than $80 million for four years at this time a year ago, but it wasn't a realistic offer, and left-hander Garrett Crochet got double that from the Boston Red Sox. Heyman thinks the Tigers will gauge the trade market for Skubal this offseason, and while he won't rule out any trade, he considers it unlikely. The 29-year-old has won the American League Cy Young in back-to-back seasons while going a combined 31-10 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 469:68 K:BB in 62 starts during the regular season. He had career-highs in 2025 in ERA (2.21), WHIP (0.89), strikeouts (241), and innings pitched (195 1/3). The Tigers are likely to hang onto him in the final year of his contract as they look to make the playoffs for the third straight year.