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    Tarik Skubal, Tigers win again. That’s bad news for rest of MLB

    todaytrendnews7By No Comments10 Mins Read
    Tarik Skubal, Tigers win again. That's bad news for rest of MLB

    Tarik Skubal’s next start at Comerica Park could be his last as a Detroit Tiger. Yet the way he’s been pitching and the Tigers keep winning, the chances keep increasing that he’ll stick around the Motor City a couple more months

    Skubal made quick work of the Kansas City Royals Friday, July 24, striking out a season-high 12 and mowing through 7⅓ innings on 91 pitches as the Tigers defeated the Royals 2-1 for their 12th win in 16 games

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    The victory moved Detroit to 50-54, the closest they’ve been to the .500 mark since they were 19-23 on May 12. They remained within six games of first place in the American League Central, and four games of the final wild card berth

    And that could be bad news for the rest of Major League Baseball’s contenders

    More:Five MLB teams who will be most aggressive at 2026 trade deadline


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    Skubal, 29 and a free agent after this season, is by far the most anticipated potential trade chip this year. After the Tigers sank 16 games below .500 on May 31 as Skubal worked his way back from elbow surgery, it was widely assumed Skubal, if healthy, would certainly be available by the Aug. 3 trade deadline

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    Skubal is plenty healthy and starting to approach his two-time Cy Young Award-winning form. Trouble is, the Tigers are playing far better ball, too

    They are 28-16 since June 1, and with each win they put on the board, must ponder the impact dealing their ace would have on their fan base

    For now, Detroit is enjoying Skubal’s greatness, as 40,638 turned out on a 77-degree night at Comerica Park to watch him work, and saluted him with a long standing ovation when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch came to take him out with one out in the eighth, sitting on 999 strikeouts

    Tarik Skubal exults after escaping the third inning with one of his 12 strikeouts.
    Tarik Skubal exults after escaping the third inning with one of his 12 strikeouts.

    “You don’t take these things for granted,” Skubal told reporters of the standing ovation. “I think they just appreciate me and that’s special, and nothing I take for granted.”

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    Skubal allowed just six baserunners, giving up four hits and two walks, and his 12 strikeouts were his most since punching out a dozen Athletics in an 8-3 loss on Aug. 25, 2025. In seven starts since returning from May elbow surgery, Skubal has a 2.70 ERA and a 65-7 strikeout-walk ratio

    And he’s only picking up steam

    Skubal was coming off a seven-inning shutout effort against the Los Angeles Angels, and another dominant start like his last two, and it’d be hard to dispute he’s returned to his Cy Young-winning form

    “Tarik was pretty locked in tonight,” says Hinch. “I look down at my card, and he’s just rolling through innings. Excellent performance, and well-deserved ovation

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    “The bar for him is so high, and he continues to reach it. It’s not surprising in the least, but it’s always rewarding when he does.”

    On one hand, that greatly enhances his trade value. On the other? Well, the Tigers compete in the notoriously weak AL Central, in one of the worst seasons the AL overall has experienced perhaps this century. Holding on to Skubal gives them a far better shot at a third consecutive playoff berth

    “He’s really good. I keep saying it over and over again,’ says Hinch. “Who wouldn’t value his impact on our team or any team? I want Tarik Skubal, as many of those guys as we can get, and we’ll see him on Wednesday.”

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    That’s when Skubal will make potentially his final home start at Comerica, against the Baltimore Orioles. After that, the Tigers hit the road and Skubal’s next start will come shortly after the deadline. And every time he takes the ball, it seems to enhance the chances he’ll be suiting up in a Tigers uniform Aug. 4

    Why? Well, the Tigers seem to believe that these guys – the crisp, second-half, Skubal-led contingent – are the real Tigers, not the bumbling, injury-addled boys of April and May

    “This is who we are, the team we had in spring,” says Skubal. “We were just a little dinged up and didn’t play well. I hate to use health as an excuse because even with the guys we had, we should’ve played better baseball

    “But this is the team we are. We were so close to a CS. Look at how that ended we were so close to a World Series. This is the team we knew we had in spring.”

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    When asked if this outing might have convinced the Tigers to keep the gang together, Skubal replied, “You’ll have to ask Scott Harris,” referring to the club’s GM

    All he and his mates can do is keep making their case. He’ll have at least one more shot to do so

    “Every win matters right now,” says Skubal, “and hopefully the decisionmakers see the type of club we have.”

    This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tarik Skubal, Tigers win again. That’s bad news for rest of MLB | Opinion

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