Tarik Skubal’s World Baseball Classic won’t be a long one.
The Detroit Tigers ace and back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner confirmed Monday that he intends to pitch just once in next month’s tournament.
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal said he will make one start for Team USA in WBC pool play, then return to camp to resume spring training.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) February 23, 2026
If the US makes the championship game, he said he'll lobby to go back -- but only to watch and support his teammates from the dugout.
Skubal says he will start one game of pool play and then return to Tigers camp in Lakeland, FL. The 29-year-old lefty said that if the US reaches the championship, he will ask for permission to return and watch from the dugout.
A native of Hayward, CA, Skubal is entering his seventh big league season out of Seattle. He started 31 games last season, going 13-6 with a 2.21 earned run average and 0.891 WHIP, both tops in the AL, in 195.1 innings of work. He struck out 241 batters and walked 33.
Skubal is set to become a free agent after this season. He won a record arbitration award earlier this month and will earn $32 million this season. The Tigers had come in at $19 million.
The Tigers open up their 2026 season on Mar. 26 with a visit to the San Diego Padres.
