Tarik Skubal Wins Arbitration Case Against Tigers, Shatters Previous Salary Record

Skubal will make $32 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration case.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case and will make $32 million in 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tarik Skubal will get paid like a two-time Cy Young award winner in 2026.

On Thursday, Skubal won his arbitration case against the Tigers, which means he’ll get paid a record $32 million this season. It’s the largest salary ever awarded via the arbitration system. The previous high went to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was awarded $19.9 million in 2024. Detroit had offered $19 million, which seemed far too low.

VERDUCCI: Tarik Skubal Is Primed to Revolutionize MLB’s Salary System

Skubal is coming off back-to-back dominant seasons in which he was rewarded with the American League Cy Young award. He and Pirates ace Paul Skenes are widely considered the best pitchers in baseball.

In 2024, Skubal went 18–4, with a 2.39 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and an MLB-best 228 strikeouts against 35 walks in 192 innings. He led all AL pitchers with 6.0 fWAR.

In 2025, the 29-year-old was even better. He went 13–6 with a 2.21 ERA, an MLB-best 0.89 WHIP, and 241 strikeouts against 33 walks in 195 1/3 innings. His 6.6 fWAR led all major league pitchers.

Skubal made $10.15 million in 2025, so he’ll see a significant raise in 2026, which is his final arbitration year. That massive salary increase is completely understandable.

The Tigers and Skubal remain far apart on contract extension talks, which means he’s almost certainly headed for free agency after the season. He’s expected to garner the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history.

While Detroit has balked at handing a fortune to Skubal, they went out and signed Framber Valdez to a big deal on Monday. Valdez, who is three years older than Skubal, will get $115 million over three seasons, which works out to $38.3 million per season.

Tarik Skubal career stats

The Tigers selected Skubal in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB draft out of Seattle University, and he quickly raced through the minor league ranks and became a top prospect by 2020. He made his debut that season and struggled, going 1–4 with a 5.63 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 32 innings.

Skubal made 31 appearances (29 starts) in 2021 and still wasn’t at his best. That year, he went 8–12, with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP, but did rack up 164 strikeouts in 149 1/3 innings. The 2022 campaign is where he began to show his quality, but it was cut short when he underwent flexor tendon surgery in August. He made 21 starts and went 7–8, with a 3.52 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 117 2/3 innings.

After recovery from surgery, Skubal made his 2023 debut on July 4 and was stellar. He made 15 starts and went 7–3, with a 2.80 ERA, a 2.00 FIP, a 0.90 WHIP and 102 strikeouts against 14 walks in 80 1/3 innings.

That led into 2024 and ‘25, when he became arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Over the past two seasons, Skubal is a combined 31–10. He leads all qualified pitchers in ERA (2.30), WHIP (0.91), FIP (2.47), strikeouts (469), walks per nine (1.58) and fWAR (12.6) over that span. He is now a two-time All-Star, two-time Cy Young winner, and has been named All-MLB first team in both seasons.

Skubal will finally be paid to the level of his production in 2026.

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