Tigers' Ace Tarik Skubal Sits Atop Projected Salary Arbitration for 2026
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The Detroit Tigers are in the midst of their five-game postseason series against the Seattle Mariners with a 1-1 tie as of right now. The Tigers clinched Saturday's Game 1 victory with a score of 3-2, while the Mariners bounced back on Sunday, sealing a 3-2 win. Now, both teams are gearing up for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Ahead of the matchup, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors released the projected arbitration rates for 2026, a model created by Matt Swartz to project salaries for eligible players.
As Adams explained, "Matt has developed an algorithm to project arbitration salaries that looks at the player's playing time, position, role and performance statistics while accounting for inflation. The performance of comparable players matter, but our system is not directly selecting individual comp for each individual player."
Tigers' Projected Arbitration Salaries
This time around, the Tigers have 14 players eligible for arbitration during the offseason.
Tarik Skubal (5.114): $17.8MM
Casey Mize (5.111): $5.4MM
Jake Rogers (5.040): $2.9MM
Will Vest (4.100): $3.3MM
Zach McKinstry (4.099): $3.5MM
Matt Vierling (4.026): $3.1MM
Jason Foley (3.150): $3.15MM
Alex Lange (3.145): $900K
Andy Ibanez (3.133): $1.8MM
Riley Greene (3.110): $6.6MM
Spencer Torkelson (3.076): $5.1MM
Kerry Carpenter (3.057): $3.5MM
Beau Brieske (3.056): $1.3MM
Tyler Holton (3.047): $1.7MM
Tarik Skubal Sits Atop Projected Arbitration Salaries
Unsurprisingly, AL Cy Young recipient Tarik Skubal is projected to receive the biggest boost. Considering his impeccable performance throughout his 2025 campaign, this doesn't come as a major shock. At the time of this writing, he owns a 2.21 ERA in 195.1 innings pitched with a 0.89 WHIP.
Heading into the 2025 season, he avoided arbitration with a one-year, $10.15 million deal, but his future with Detroit hasn't been made clear just yet.
Beyond his reliability and overall performance, Skubal has been making headlines for another reason: his potential extension. Despite the circulating rumors, Tigers' owner Christopher Ilitch has been adamant about focusing on the postseason.
"We're in 2025 right now," said Ilitch, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "We're just going to focus on the playoffs and really just focus on the game in front of us... We're very, very focused to win a World Series. Maybe this year, may not be, but we're going to keep after it. I like this group of guys, and I like the young guys we've got coming."
Skubal, 28, has been the star of the show this year, and he's continued to develop into one of the most impressive players in baseball. Concerns surrounding his potential extension remain present, but his projection looks promising.
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Maria Aldrich graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Wilderness Education. While earning her degrees, she learned the fundamentals of climbing, wilderness travel, and leadership in the backcountry. These skills built upon Maria's lifelong passion for the outdoors. Following graduation, she began working in the outdoor recreation field, serving individuals with disabilities to help them access outdoor pursuits including hiking, paddling, horseback riding, and snowshoeing. The following year, Maria moved to the Adirondack Mountains in New York State to continue working towards a life of adventure and writing. She has continued rock and ice climbing, hiking in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, and paddling through various rivers while documenting her experiences through writing. When Maria isn’t adventuring in the mountains, she can be found reading a book, fishing on a shoreline, or spending time with family.