Detroit Tigers Manager A.J. Hinch Officially Names Tarik Skubal Opening Day Starter

In the middle of Wednesday's spring training game against the Minnesota Twins, manager A.J. Hinch pegged reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal as the Detroit Tigers' Opening Day starting pitcher.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws at batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Florida. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In case there was any question, the Detroit Tigers have landed on an Opening Day starting pitcher for 2025.

Manager A.J. Hinch was being interviewed live on FanDuel Sports Network during the second inning of Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins. Tarik Skubal, the 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner, had just come off the mound after 2.0 scoreless innings when Hinch decided to publicly crown his ace.

"Let me break news on the broadcast today – I think we should name him the Opening Day starter," Hinch said. "I think that might be the easiest decision a manager has to make when it comes to Tarik Skubal."

Hinch said he told Skubal he would be taking the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 27 when they first arrived at spring training.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨

Tarik Skubal will start Opening Day for the Tigers 🤯

(via @tigers)pic.twitter.com/GmMzsbtRZt

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 26, 2025

Skubal won the pitching Triple Crown in the American League last season, going 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA, 0.922 WHIP, 228 strikeouts and a 6.3 WAR across 31 starts.

The 192.0 innings Skubal tossed in 2024 nearly matched his combined total from between 2022 and 2023, when he racked up 198.0. He went 14-11 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.051 WHIP, 219 strikeouts and a 3.5 WAR in that span, suggesting that he was bursting with star potential.

Skubal more than lived up to that last season, and he now enters 2025 as Detroit's Opening Day starter for the second year in a row.

In the 2024 regular season opener, Skubal allowed three hits, zero walks and zero runs across 6.0 innings versus the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers won that contest 1-0, then went on to clinch their first playoff berth in a decade.

This year, Skubal will have to face off against the reigning World Series champions on the road. He pitched against the Dodgers one time in 2024, tossing 6.0 innings of two-run ball while striking out eight.

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