Matthew Boyd Gets Blunt About Reuniting With Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal
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Current Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made his first start for Team USA on Saturday, beating Team Great Britain 9-1 after pitching in the first three innings. Other than allowing a first-pitch home run to Nate Eaton, Skubal did Skubal things on the mound.
Ending his outing with five strikeouts, while allowing two hits and without walking a batter, Skubal is still the best pitcher in the American League despite the shaky start. But before the days of Skubal leading the charge in Detroit, eventually leading him to Team USA, the Tigers were led by Matthew Boyd.
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Boyd was the ace while Skubal came up through the system, until his departure following 2021. Boyd and Skubal have come full circle, as the former teammates reunited as members of the starting rotation for Team USA, the first time the two have been teammates since 2023.
Boyd Opens Up About Skubal
In an interview with Jolly Olive of Jomboy Media, Boyd was asked how reuniting with Skubal has been so far in the dugout and more.
"It's a lot of trash talk," Boyd said.
"It's a fun relationship because I respect him so much. He's a guy that I continually get to learn from, and he's a great friend. So, it's fun to share a clubhouse again;. You never know how often you're really going to get to do that, much less get to do it again. Special to do it in what's the highest honor in representing your country."
When Skubal was a rookie, Boyd took him out to his first dinner as a big league player and even lent him his glove when a young Skubal forgot to pack it for the road trip. The friendship runs deeper than some would think.
Boyd was in the same position that Skubal finds himself in during his time in Detroit. While Boyd was never the same kind of player Skubal has been in such a short time, he was the heart and soul of a team that was often overlooked during the dark days of their decade-long rebuild.
But since leaving, both Skubal and Boyd have thrived. Boyd suited up for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 to take on the Tigers in the Wild Card round and is now pitching for the Chicago Cubs as one of their better pitchers in the rotation, while Skubal continues to earn the nod as the best pitcher in the world today.
If Boyd had stayed, it's unclear how Skubal would have been utilized in his development. Everything happens for a reason, and just like the two friends getting the chance to become teammates again, even if only for a short time, their respective paths eventually brought them back into each other's lives.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.