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Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal's rarely seen pregame ritual with wife, son is uncovered

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal's wife, Jessica, and their eldest boy, play a crucial role in the Cy Young winner's game day routine.
Emily Bicks|
Oct 5, 2025: Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal against the Seattle Mariners during game two of the ALDS round at T-Mobile Park.
Oct 5, 2025: Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal against the Seattle Mariners during game two of the ALDS round at T-Mobile Park. | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

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Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers face a must-win Game 5 against the Seattle Mariners in the American League Divisional Series on Friday, Oct. 10.

Taking the mound for the Tigers, Tarik Skubal, one of the best pitchers in the MLB and runaway favorite to win his second consecutive AL Cy Young Award in 2025.

While the Mariners are 3-0 against Skubal this season, the 28-year-old gives Detroit their best shot to reach the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2013.

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Tarik Skubal
Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal in Game 2 of the ALDS at T-Mobile Park | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Skubal is having a big year off the field, as well. Over the summer, he and his wife, Jessica Skobel, welcomed their second son, Klay. The two-time All-Star and Jessica welcomed their first son, Kasen, in October 2023.

“It’s really coo to raise a son in this atmosphere,” Skubal told the Detroit Free Press in April. "When we get home, I'll be watching video of myself on my iPad, and he'll just sit there and watch with me and be like, ‘Dad, dad, dad.’”

While Skubal laments how much he misses out on while on the road as an MLB player, he credits his wife for keeping it all together. “She's amazing,” Skubal said.

Tarik Skubal Incorporates His Son, Kasen, Into His Warm Up Routine

When the Tigers play at home, his wife and eldest son play a key role in helping Skubal get ready. He warms up with a game of catch with Kasen. A video of this special pregame routine emerged last month.

“My wife would always bring him down to the bullpen before pregame,” Skubal told MLB.com. “Now that he's a little bit older, he'll catch it and throw it, and I think it's fun.

"Sometimes baseball doesn't feel like a game you play, but when you see your son pregame, it reminds you just to calm down and enjoy it.”

"Just makes it a lot more special,” Skubal added. “All the work that you put in and all the time that you put in, to go out there and play and be able to perform in front of your family, I think it makes all that stuff that you put in behind the scenes worth it.”

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Emily Bicks
EMILY BICKS

Emily Bicks is a sports reporter with over a decade of experience in journalism. In addition to her work at The Athlete Lifestyle on SI, she covers the NFL for Heavy Sports. Her previous work includes founding an entertainment column for the New York Observer, writing for Refinery29, Variety, and Tribune Media.

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