Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal is highly respected among his peers, and one person surely pleased by this praise is franchise legend Justin Verlander, now with the San Francisco Giants. After Skubal threw a shutout for the Tigers, Verlander commented on his outstanding performance.
Verlander clearly admires Skubal, describing the shutout as “eye-opening,” noting that Skubal pitched all nine innings with 13 strikeouts on just 94 pitches. Verlander also spoke about how pitchers today are often pulled earlier than usual, but said that for Detroit, “they got the best pitcher in baseball,” according to The Athletic.
“To me, if I’m the Tigers and I’ve got the best pitcher in baseball, I want that guy out there as long as possible,” Verlander said. “Ride that horse. Hell yeah. That’s how I felt when I was pitching. They’d say, ‘You’re our guy, we want you every fifth day.’ Sometimes they’d skip the fifth starter or give extra off days and check in with me, ‘How are you feeling?’ … I’d say, ‘I feel good. It was fine, it was great, it was awesome. And I loved it.’”
Tigers’ Tarik Skubal on meeting Justin Verlander for the first time
Many others are calling Tigers’ star pitcher Tarik Skubal the best in baseball, and Justin Verlander has even admitted he’s become a “fan” of the 28-year-old, who currently holds a 2.49 ERA with 92 strikeouts—second-most in the majors—and a 5-2 record. Before the season, Skubal shared that meeting Verlander during an exhibition series left him feeling “starstruck.”
Skubal said, “You’re a little starstruck, honestly. 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.”
Verlander appreciates seeing Skubal pitch deep into games and hopes to see other pitchers aiming for the same, as he always valued going deep during his own career.
“I do appreciate seeing him go deeper in games and wanting to do that,” Verlander said. “For me, as a starting pitcher, getting deep into games was always a goal. It wasn’t just about giving up zero runs but about lasting deep in the game. Sometimes you sacrifice. If your team scores six runs early, I’m attacking. I’m sure he does the same.”
Currently, Detroit holds a 37-20 record, leading the AL Central, as they prepare to start a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
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