The Detroit Tigers' brutal loss in the ALDS taught them one huge lesson: Tarik Skubal can’t do it all on his own. He needs run support, but he also needs a No. 2 ace in the rotation to help secure series.
If the Tigers want to keep Skubal, they need to find a two for a 1-2 punch with Skubal. Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer believes they can get one, in the form of San Diego Padres ace Michael King.
“Either way, something the Tigers need to take out of this season is that Skubal badly needs a proper No. 2 supporting him in the rotation. King has the goods to be that guy, and the Tigers are frankly overdue to take a chance on the kind of deal it would take to secure him,” Rymer wrote.
King was injured for most of the 2025 season, but he still posted a record of 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA, 76 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.220. In the 2024 season, his Cy Young candidate year, he finished with a record of 13-9, 2.95 ERA, along with 201 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.192.
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This is exactly what Skubal needs. He can’t do it all on his own, and if he could get a guy like King to be the Robin to his Batman, the Tigers need to go all-out getting him.
Hopefully, they do, as the Tigers are already on thin ice with Skubal, whose contract is about to expire next year. If they want to make steps in the right direction, they need to give Skubal support; otherwise, he’s going to walk.
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