Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal talks pitching development
Ace pitcher Tarik Skubal joined our “Days of Roar” podcast as spring training began to discuss development of his pitches, more. Full episode out now.
- Justin Verlander praised Tarik Skubal’s recent complete-game shutout, advocating for the Tigers to let him pitch deeper into games.
- Verlander believes Skubal has the potential to be a dominant, high-inning pitcher like himself, Max Scherzer, or Clayton Kershaw.
- Tigers manager A.J. Hinch prioritizes using relievers late in games, even for pitchers as effective as Skubal.
Nine scoreless innings.
Thirteen strikeouts.
Ninety-four pitches.
Future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander — the old ace of the Detroit Tigers — watched the highlights of current Tigers ace Tarik Skubal dominating the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, May 25, to achieve his latest milestone, firing his first-ever complete game shutout on fewer than 100 pitches.
“I love good pitching,” Verlander said.
He also loved to see Skubal pitch deep into the game.
“If I’m the Tigers, and I’ve got the best pitcher in baseball, I want that (expletive) out there — ride that horse,” Verlander said. “That’s the way I thought about it when I was pitching.”
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The 28-year-old Skubal and 42-year-old Verlander met for the first time March 25 in San Francisco, at the start of a two-game exhibition series between the Tigers and Giants to complete spring training.
That day, Verlander introduced himself to Skubal.
“I’ve become a fan of his,” Verlander said.
They talked in the outfield at Oracle Park.
“You’re a little star-struck, honestly,” Skubal said, tipping his cap to Verlander’s legendary 20-year MLB career, including 13 seasons with the Tigers. “What he means to this organization, and what he’s accomplished in his career — he’s a Hall of Famer, and he’s been doing it for a long time. When you’re in my shoes, you strive to be who he is. I think that’s pretty cool.”
Skubal — the reigning American League Cy Young winner — owns a 2.49 ERA in the 2025 season, with just seven walks and 92 strikeouts across 68⅔ innings. His masterpiece came Sunday against the Guardians: a complete-game shutout on just 94 pitches, with zero walks and 13 strikeouts.
Since returning from flexor tendon surgery on July 4, 2023, Skubal has established himself as the best pitcher in baseball. He ranks No. 1 in MLB with a 2.51 ERA and an 11.8 fWAR over 57 starts and 341 innings since then, well ahead of everyone else in the game.
It’s not even close.
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“Is he like the only starter since the stars have gotten older — like the previous generation — that has really cemented himself and made a name for himself as a starting pitcher?” Verlander said, sizing up Skubal’s place in the game.
What about Paul Skenes, 2023’s No. 1 overall pick and the current ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates?
“I mean somebody that came up and turned himself into a star,” Verlander said. “Obviously, Paul had a lot of fanfare early — that would be (Stephen) Strasburg. Somebody that, as a starter, has done some special things to turn himself into a star and a household name since me, Max (Scherzer) and (Clayton) Kershaw? I don’t know if anybody else has done that. Chris Sale, maybe?”
Skubal has been doing special things for a few years now — including winning the Cy Young and the AL pitching Triple Crown in 2024 — but what stands out to Verlander was one of the most dominant single-game performances in recent memory: Skubal’s complete-game shutout.
“His last start was eye-opening,” Verlander said. “I’ve been following him.”
There were only 28 complete games in the 2024 season.
That’s the fewest in MLB history.
So far in 2025, there have been just five complete games thrown — by Skubal on May 25, San Diego’s Stephen Kolek against the Rockies on May 10, St. Louis’ Erick Fedde against the Nationals on May 9, San Diego’s Michael King against the Rockies on April 13 and Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi against the Reds on April 1 — through approximately one-third of the 162-game season, putting MLB on pace for an even lower total of 15.
“Most guys, they’re getting pulled at the fifth or sixth inning, not going deep into games,” Verlander said. “Your team wins. You did an OK job. But you’re not getting shown on ESPN and all the national news outlets to make a name for yourself — because you’re not really doing anything.”
To be fair, Skubal needed just 94 pitches to complete his latest gem, the fewest of the five complete games, and was at 85 entering the ninth. Had he been nearing 100 pitches entering the ninth, he probably would’ve been pulled in favor of a reliever. He hasn’t thrown more than 96 pitches in a game this season.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Verlander said. “I mean, maybe he affords himself the opportunity.”
Skubal hasn’t often pitched deep into games.
In 114 career starts spanning six MLB seasons, Skubal has pitched into the seventh inning 30 times, the eighth inning just twice and the ninth inning only once — Sunday. His highest single-season innings total is 192 innings, achieved in 2024.
“He’s obviously special, so who knows what his limit is?” said Verlander, who credits former Tigers manager Jim Leyland for letting him pitch deep into games. “Starting pitchers aren’t cookie-cutter. Some get tired at 80 pitches. Nolan Ryan was throwing 300 pitches a game. I do appreciate seeing him go deeper in games and wanting to do that.”
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Verlander threw 23 complete games for the Tigers, with 19 of them coming under Leyland as manager. He also threw at least seven innings in 208 of his 380 starts for the Tigers — 54.7% — and at least eight innings in 73 starts — 19.2% of his starts as a Tiger.
Current Tigers manager A.J. Hinch explained his reasons for keeping Skubal under the 100-pitch mark this season, resulting in an 8-3 record in Skubal starts.
“If guys want to enter the ninth inning with 85 pitches, I promise you, I will leave guys in,” Hinch said. “As starters fatigue, is their pitch 100 — you said 120 — is their 120th pitch better than Will Vest’s first pitch or Tommy Kahnle’s first pitch or Brant Hurter’s first pitch? The answer is no.”
Verlander wants that to change.
He believes Skubal — a new-school pitcher with an old-school mindset — possesses all the tools to go the distance consistently, just like he did in his prime. He also thinks the Tigers should start letting him prove it with higher pitch counts and more innings.
“Maybe this is where teams start trending back,” said Verlander, a three-time AL Cy Young winner and the 2011 AL MVP. “As good as he is, we want you out there for 200-plus innings every year, because that’s better for the Detroit Tigers.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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