Tarik Skubal's addition to Team USA's 2026 World Baseball Classic roster made even the most unpatriotic of Tigers fans feel like buying an American flag and going for a run down Woodward Ave.
It wasn't just that Skubal was suiting up; it was the company he would be keeping on Team USA — Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Raleigh, and maybe most of all Paul Skenes. Who wouldn't want to see the reigning Cy Young winners pitch back-to-back starts on the international stage?
But Skubal's participation had to be tempered with some caution. Pitching playoff-style baseball weeks before Opening Day, while thrilling, increases the risk of injury.