Latest Tarik Skubal Report Could Shake Up National League

The Detroit Tigers ace is potentially going to be on the move. But where could he actually go?

Jun 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have one of the game's most valuable potential trade chips right now in two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. It doesn't take much to see that.

We're 42 days away from the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline and the Tigers are 33-44 on the season. Skubal has already made two starts since undergoing elbow surgery and has pitched 10 1/3 innings while allowing five earned runs. Even with a bit of rust, the lefty has looked good and if he does become available, there's going to be a team out there that lands a superstar for the playoff push.

Naturally, there's been a lot of chatter out there for weeks at this point about Skubal with a handful of teams mentioned, including the Los Angeles Dodgers. While this is the case, USA Today's Bob Nightengale floated an intriguing "sleeper" in the Skubal sweepstakes: the Atlanta Braves.

The Tarik Skubal Sweepstakes Is Already Interesting

Jun 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) looks at the scoreboard after the retiring the Chicago White Sox in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

"The sleeper in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, several executives predict, will be Atlanta," Nightengale wrote. "The cost could be two of their top-10 prospects, including one who’s in the top 100 overall."

The Braves are 48-28 on the season, despite missing Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Joey Wentz, Sean Murphy, and Ronald Acuña Jr. right now. The Braves have been bitten by the injury bug over and over again and as a result, the Braves are 3-7 over their last 10 games.

With Strider, Schwellenbach, and Wentz all on the 60-Day Injured List, the Braves clearly need more firepower. Landing someone like the two-time reigning American Cy Young Award winner would certainly do the trick. In total, Skubal has a 3.02 ERA in nine starts this season. He led the American League in ERA in each of the last two seasons at 2.39 in 2024 and 2.21 in 2025. He hasn't finished a season with an ERA above 2.80 since 2022.

The Dodgers should be viewed as the favorites in the National League right now with the Braves and Milwaukee Brewers not far behind. If the Braves could get Skubal — and a few of their injured guys back — that would certainly shift things in Atlanta's favor.

There are 42 days left to go until the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline gets here. Between now and then, we could very well end up seeing some fireworks with Skubal, to say the least.