Tarik Skubal Is a Different Pitcher Since Last Facing the Padres
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The Detroit Tigers are back in action as they take on the San Diego Padres at Petco Park for opening day 2026. These Tigers ensured they gave themselves the best chance at winning this season, and it all starts with their starting pitching.
Detroit has one of the best starting rotations in all of Major League Baseball, led by back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
Skubal takes the mound today for the Tigers against the Padres, marking his third straight season as the opening day starter, the first to record three straight since Justin Verlander's prime in Detroit.
Thursday marks the second time Skubal has faced the Padres in his career, with the first coming way back in 2022, when Skubal was a much different pitcher for the Tigers. Since that outing in 2022, Skubal has cemented himself as the best pitcher in baseball, and arguably the entire world.
Revisiting Skubs Only Start vs San Diego
Back in 2022, Skubal showed signs of what/who he would turn into against the Padres, going six innings, allowing zero earned runs, yet received a no-decision for his efforts. According to Sports Reference, the Tigers' soon-to-be ace only struck out two and walked three.
Since 2022, Skubal has earned the following accolades that many didn't think he would, given his ninth-round draft status back in 2018.
2x All-Star
2x AL Cy Young
2x ERA Title
Triple Crown (2024)
15.1 WAR (2023-25)
2.39 ERA
571 K's to 88 BBs
It's difficult to believe that there was once a time when Skubal walked more batters than he struck out, given the kind of pitcher he has turned into, but the Padres can't see him as the 2022 version of himself. If A.J. Hinch permits him, Skubal could go seven innings on Thursday, because that's the pitcher he is now.
This could be the final time that Skubal starts opening day for the Tigers in his career, as he's set to hit free agency following the 2026 season. With how Skubal has pitched since 2023, he's in place to become the highest-paid pitcher in the history of the game, and it's an asking price that Detroit might not be able to reach.
But instead of worrying about where Skubal is next season, fans should celebrate that they have the best pitcher in the world on their team for one more year. The offense is what needs to give Skubal some run support early, and if they do, Detroit is primed to start the year in the win column.
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.