Could Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal become the highest-paid starting pitcher of all time?
Skubal delivered one of Major League Baseball’s most impressive starts in recent memory last Sunday. He dominated the Cleveland Guardians with a complete game “Maddux” shutout featuring just 94 pitches, 13 strikeouts, zero walks, and two hits allowed. It was the first shutout and complete game of the 28-year-old’s career.
Skubal’s performance was a reminder of the sheer brilliance he’s displayed dating back to his 2024 American League Cy Young season.
Per a new report from ESPN’s Buster Olney and Paul Hembekides, Skubal has a 2.33 ERA over his last 50 starts to go along with a 0.87 WHIP and staggering 386-to-50 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
During a Friday episode of Baseball Tonight, Olney and Hembekides marveled at Skubal’s greatness and speculated on his future contract situation with the Detroit Tigers (or another club).
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“(The Guardians start) reminded me to some degree of (Justin) Verlander in his absolute prime, where it was that dominant, (and) Bob Gibson was certainly that way,” Olney said of Skubal.
“‘Like drinking coffee with a fork,’ is once how Willie Stargell described hitting against Sandy Koufax,” Hembekides replied. “That’s what it looks like right now (with Skubal).”
“The numbers are absolutely outrageous … over his last 50 starts … a 2.33 ERA, a 0.87 whip, and a strikeout-to-walk of 386-to-50. Skubal’s the first lefty to do (that) since (Los Angeles Dodgers’) Clayton Kershaw from 2015 to 2017,” Hembekides continued.
“And the only other 21st century lefties are Johan Santana and Randy Johnson to blend that kind of volume and efficiency.”
Hembekides then wondered aloud what Skubal’s next contract might look like. Skubal has one more year of arbitration left before becoming a free agent in 2027.
“That’s gonna be a fascinating contract to see where he winds up, ’cause right now, he could ask for half a billion dollars and be more than justified in doing so,” Hembekides said.
“Who knows where this is going?” Olney replied, “But Tarik Skubal is not going to sign an extension, I’m sure, before he reaches free agency.”
Will the Tigers be able to keep Skubal in Detroit? If he keeps pitching like this, the price tag will be astronomical.
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