Tarik Skubal Reveals What Makes Dodgers So Special

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Detroit Tigers, 2-1, in Friday's series opener in an emotional game for Tarik Skubal.

Skubal, who was making just his fifth start as a member of the Dodgers, was facing the Tigers for the first time after spending the first six-and-a-half seasons of his major league career in Detroit.

The 29-year-old expressed how excited he was to return to Detroit, despite the fact that he was a visitor in his old home stadium for the first time.

Do you get déjà vu?

Tarik Skubal toes the rubber in Detroit tonight … this time as a member of the @Dodgers 👀 pic.twitter.com/hUoEU6zHOY
— MLB (@MLB) August 28, 2026

While Skubal has expressed an interest in returning to Detroit after this season and his contract concludes, the two-time Cy Young winner is beginning to settle into his new — albeit possibly temporary — home.

As he gets used to a new clubhouse, Skubal revealed to reporters one trait that the Dodgers have as a team that might be a reason behind their success in the postseason.

“No one’s ego is too big to ask a question and try to learn from anybody,” Skubal told the Los Angeles Times. “So I think that’s what makes this team so good. I think that’s why they tick, and I think that’s why they’re so good, especially in September, is they’re just not afraid to fail. They’re going to try and learn as much from each other as possible. I just love being a part of that.”

Skubal has quickly earned the admiration of his teammates, in part due to his developing chemistry with other members of the team.

“You can’t tell whether he’s pitching or not because his personality never changes,” Kiké Hernandez said. “And I appreciate how talkative he is, like even during his starts, like in the middle of the game, which is kind of refreshing.”

Skubal has consistently said that he doesn't want to address free agency until after the season, which he surely hopes goes far into October. His acquisition positioned the Dodgers to have perhaps the best group of starters in the sport, with Skubal, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and — if healthy — Shohei Ohtani rounding out a video game-esque rotation.

While Skubal didn't earn the win in Detroit on Friday night, he pitched a quality start, allowing just one run over six innings with seven strikeouts.

With that start behind him, he can now fully turn his focus to the final month of the regular season — and a potentially long October — with his new team.

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