The Detroit Tigers just won an incredible series against the Cleveland Guardians. After losing a 15.5 game lead in the regular season in July and a 10.5 game lead in the division in September to the Guardians, the Tigers had the last laugh, beating the Guardians in Cleveland to move on to the ALDS.
Game 2 went to the Guardians, but in Games 1 and 3, the Tigers pulled through. While Detroit pulled ahead in Game 3 thanks to an offensive explosion late, the Game 1 matchup was won thanks to Tarik Skubal's dominance on the mound.
Following the series win, Tigers owner Chris Ilitch answered a question about Skubal's upcoming free agency in a piece from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Ilitch, while not a big update, did reveal where the team stands at the moment for a Skubal extension.
Tigers owner Chris Ilitch reveals Tarik Skubal contract extension stance after Wild Card series win
"We're in 2025 right now," Ilitch said. "We're just going to focus on the playoffs and really just focus on the game in front of us."
Skubal will become a free agent after the 2026 regular season, and while the Tigers surely would like to keep him on the roster for his entire career, the contract demands for Skubal are going to be incredibly high.
He will almost certainly land a deal north of $300 million, and could even reach $400 million, becoming the first pitcher to reach such a high contract.
With how dominant he's been these last two years, it wouldn't be a surprise if he were signed to such a deal. Skubal was the 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner and will likely be the 2025 AL Cy Young Award winner as well.
Skubal went 7.2 innings against the Guardians in Game 1, striking out 14 and allowing one earned run in a dominant showing to secure the win for Detroit.
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In the regular season, the lefty finished with a 2.21 ERA and 6.6 bWAR, both led all AL pitchers. He went 13-6 across 31 starts with one complete game shutout and 241 strikeouts in 195.1 innings pitched. His 187 ERA+ also led all AL pitchers.
Compared to 2024, when he won his first Cy Young, Skubal had a better 2025 season. His 174 ERA+, 228 strikeouts, 6.4 bWAR, and 2.39 ERA were all worse numbers than what he had this season. The major difference was his record, finishing with an 18-4 record in 2024 compared to 13-6 this past season. Though a pitcher's record doesn't tell the full story.
The 28-year-old southpaw is one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues, and there's good reason why the Tigers fans and front office want to bring him back. But for now, the Tigers are focused on the playoffs, as they are still in contention for a World Series.
Detroit is now heading up north to face the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. It's a matchup in the playoffs that has never happened before, and it'll be a fascinating matchup for a chance to go to the ALCS.
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